At a glanceExisting decipherment · complete
- The letters
- Lt Col. Nisbet Balfour, commandant at Charleston, to Lord Cornwallis in North Carolina: one dispatch on three numbered sheets and a second letter, both of early March 1781. A third letter, to Lt Col. Alexander Stewart, 12 August 1781, is in clear with cipher runs.
- Where
- National Archives, Washington, RG 360, Papers of the Continental Congress, item 51 (Intercepted Letters) vol. 1, pp. 717–736 (catalog naId 475670722, images 562–579). Listed as no. 630 in the projectUnsolved Catalogue no. 630. Not on DECODE.rsquo;s catalogue of open targets. Not on DECODE.
- The cipher
- The southern British “Common cipher”: 25 numbers in a fixed ring turned against the alphabet. A group of fillers with one real number sets which number stands for A, and the setting changes 35 times. The Stewart letter uses a different, fixed table.
- How it was deciphered
- Every cipher page carries a decipherment between the lines, probably James Lovell’s. The ring order and the setting rule were rebuilt from it; the 6,349 transcribed numbers were then deciphered by program alone, and checked against the interlinear and a control.
- What it says
- Charleston news for Cornwallis: Marion’s and Lee’s raid on Monk’s Corner, Craig’s seizure of Wilmington, Sumter beaten off at the Congarees, Arnold’s plan for the Albemarle Sound, Rodney’s capture of St Eustatius.
- Still open
- Four numbers of the Stewart table (five tokens) and twelve illegible numbers at page edges. The Cornwallis, Wemyss and Craig cipher passages in the same volume, whose translations are on pp. 759–761, were not transcribed.
01 The letters
Volume 1 of the Intercepted Letters in the Papers of the Continental Congress holds British letters taken by the Americans between 1775 and 1781. The National Archives catalogue describes them as including “letters in cipher (some decoded) exchanged between General Charles Cornwallis and Colonel Nisbet Balfour, 1780–1781”. The image descriptions supplied by Fold3 (one per digitised page) were filtered for cipher, Cornwallis and Balfour, which found these items:
- A. Balfour to Cornwallis, Nos. 1–3, pp. 717–725 (images 562–570), wholly in cipher, with a letter-by-letter decipherment written over every line. The docket on p. 728 reads “Letters dated the … March 1781 … in Cypher … supposed Balfour to Cornwallis”. The three sheets are one dispatch: the last words of No. 1 run on into the first word of No. 2 (“their post near Heron’s / bridge”).
- B. Balfour to Cornwallis, pp. 729–732 (images 572–575), wholly in cipher, interlinear decipherment, docketed “Balfour to Cornwallis, about March 1781”.
- C. Balfour at Charleston to Lt Col. Alexander Stewart, 12 August 1781, pp. 733–736 (images 576–579): clear text with runs of cipher, most of them with the decipherment over them; signed N. Balfour.
The dates come from the text. No. 1 reports the Chatham’s arrival on 29 January, the raid on Monk’s Corner on 2 February and Craig’s letter of 28 February; No. 2 reports Sumter’s attack on the Congarees on the “nineteenth ult.” (19 February), so the dispatch is of March. B has Rodney’s capture of St Eustatius (3 February) and news of Arnold at Portsmouth on 10 February.
02 The cipher
Ian Saberton described this cipher in 2019 from letters in the Cornwallis Papers: an inner ring of numbers turned against an alphabet, the number standing for A given first, and numbers of 30 and over as fillers. The letters here fit that description exactly, and the transcription gives the whole ring:
- The ring. 25 numbers in a fixed cyclic order,
5 24 29 1 25 23 22 6 19 9 17 13 16 7 12 8 14 15 26 4 18 21 3 2 11(1–29 without 10, 20, 27 and 28), against a 25-letter alphabet with i and j as one letter. With A set to 19 the table is a19 b9 c17 d13 e16 f7 g12 h8 i14 k15 l26 m4 n18 o21 p3 q2 r11 s5 t24 u29 v1 w25 x23 y22 z6. - Fillers. Numbers of 30 and over mean nothing and are scattered through the words (24 50 8 69 16 = “the”).
- The setting moves. A group of fillers holding one real number resets A to that number. The decipherer marked each such group with a brace. No. 1 has 13 of them, No. 2 has 15, No. 3 has 3 and B has 4. Nos. 2 and 3 start without one and carry on with the previous sheet’s last setting.
- Numerals in clear. A number standing alone between dashes is a numeral: the 82nd, 84th, 71st and 64th regiments, dates (29 January, 28 February, 26), a French 64-gun ship, 18 men and 40 horses.
On p. 718 the encipherer slipped: the indicator group 47 49 31 25 40 would set A to 25, but the decipherer underlined the 25 and wrote “should be 13”. With 13 the text goes on “two troops under Colonel Fenwick”; with 25 it does not read. This decipherer was working from the numbers, not copying a clear text.
The Stewart letter of August is in another cipher: one fixed table with no settings, the numbers 12–38 for letters and 40 and over as fillers. Over a run the decipherer wrote “day notice is sent”, and the fifteen numbers under it, fillers removed, match the fifteen letters one for one (d32 a31 y29 n35 o16 t37 i24 c22 e13 s27). Its table, rebuilt from the interlinear, is a31 b12 c22 d32 e13 f23 g33 h14 i24 k34 l15 m25 n35 o16 p26 r17 s27 t37 u18 v28 w38 y29, with e also 1.
03 Balfour to Cornwallis, Nos. 1–3
Word division, capitals and punctuation are editorial. Numbers that stand in clear in the cipher are printed as numerals. The cipher’s spellings are kept (“governer”, “offisers”, “cary sfort”).
No. 1. The principal occurrences since you left us are the arrival of the Chatham with convoy from Europe, Governor Bull and Sir Egerton Leigh passengers, both of which are now at the Board of Police. Fifty thousand pounds came in the Chatham; she arrived 29 January. A party of Marion and Lee surprised the sergeant’s party at Monk’s Corner on the 2 February, killed two and made some prisoners, which, with burning three waggons and carrying off some horses, was all they effected. Colonel Small with the 84 and fifty Hessians marched immediately there; the church was fortified and the inhabitants’ horses ordered in to mount the infantry there, as well as at Neilson’s, where fifty men are placed. Two troops under Colonel Fenwick and Lieutenant Campbell, 71 regiment, raising and in forwardness. The light company of the 84 sent to Pocotaligo to cover that country from plunderers. The 82 with convalescents of the army took possession of Wilmington the 28 January without opposition; the enemy were driven from their post at Heron’s Bridge by Major Craig; the marines and seamen landed and a post close to the town taken, which is now in a state of defence not to be forced but by a large corps [with] cannon. Craig is informed of your movements so far as we know them. Tho’ not afraid of the militia now against him, wishes much for a reinforcement; this is not in my power to send. He has all the articles wanted by the army and is perfectly safe. His last letter, 28 February, mentions the enemy being about six hundred and in their post near Heron’s
No. 2. Bridge. If you mean to communicate by Cross Creek the banks of the river must be cleared, as the enemy have posts on it. Georgetown was attacked and Colonel Campbell with some few men taken prisoners as they slept in a house out of the redoubt. Some small parties of men have since been at that post, from the bad conduct of the officers. Fanning’s is now moved from thence and joined Watson’s corps; a detachment of one hundred men are now in Georgetown under Captain Gray of Fanning’s. A fleet from Ireland with provisions and stores under convoy of the Assurance arrived 23 ult., and being in want of water put into this and Beaufort before they proceed to York. A packet from England with duplicates of the dispatches by Ross 20 ult. On the last of February a packet sailed for England with accounts of your being at Salem and the state of affairs here. An express from General Arnold in the Chesapeak 23 ultimo, informing of a French 64 and two frigates having blocked up that place, and desiring assistance. This letter was shewn to Captain Barclay, who altho’ possessed of the Chatham, Carysfort, Assurance, Galatea and Blonde, would not proceed in quest of the enemy. The Chatham with her convoy sailed 26 for New York. Sumpter, having raised at least three hundred men, attacked Congarees nineteenth ult., but by the conduct of Maxwell was beat off; at Thompson’s he had the same fate and was forced to cross the Santee. Lord Rawdon moved with great speed after him to Congarees, Camden and Sumpter’s [?], detaching 64 and York Volunteers in such directions as gave reason to expect the success his movements merited, by misconduct in
No. 3. some of the detachments and other unforeseen events he only got at him as he crossed the river, by Watson’s corps, which acted with […] and drove him with the loss of 18 men and 40 horses; we lost none. Watson is now in pursuit of him, and Marion with the [Hightown?] and Fanning’s. Lord Rawdon is also towards [Pedee?]
No. 3 ends at the foot of its sheet; no further sheet survives in the volume.
04 Balfour to Cornwallis, the second letter
The same ring and the same setting rule decipher it unchanged, with four indicators (A = 23, 18, 6, 5).
In Gen. Arnold’s letter is the following paragraph: “If the cooperation will be of service, I intend to send some boats with four or five hundred men through Currituck Inlet to sweep the Albemarle Sound as high as Edenton, and to go to Newbern and destroy their shipping, stores &c., while a few armed vessels take post at Ocracock Bar and a frigate cruises without.” The General’s intentions to prosecute this plan is corroborated by Capt. Eyons of the Charlestown, who arrived yesterday from Gardner’s Bay; left Arnold at Portsmouth on the tenth of Feb[ruary]. By the progress of Arnold, his operations are mentioned in a newspaper. By the bearer [?]: the removal of the French and intelligence of your movements are both necessary before Arnold proceeds to execute his plan. I have sent him by Evans the cypher, in case he can communicate with you. Evans left this today, being sent to collect the force here, which is now dispersed, to attack the French in the Chesapeak, and proceeds to try to get to Arnold. Having reason to believe the enemy are gone from thence [Savannah?] is well, but seriously alarmed for want of provisions; the river Savannah must shortly be our dependance for supplying that post. The enemy make such serious inroads [and] raise such force that I fear, without an addition soon to our corps on the frontier, we shall be awkwardly situated. A fortunate stroke at Sumpter and Marian will do much. What is to be done with the troops from England, if they come, as is expected, here? What is to become of the post at Wilmington if your movements leave that place uncovered by your army? The bearer, I believe, if he delivers this, he must be well rewarded; he is to proceed to Philadelphia and will be useful there if you wish it. Scott’s letter is a blind. Sir George Rodney has taken possession of St Eustatia, has engaged a Dutch line of battle ship, taken her and a large fleet of merchantmen under convoy for Holland, so that I think there is no kind of doubt a war with the Dutch must take place.
“I have sent him by Evans the cypher”: Balfour sent Arnold a copy of this cipher, which Saberton identifies as the one Arnold and later Leslie used with Cornwallis in Virginia.
05 Balfour to Stewart, 12 August 1781
A clear letter, “Charles Town August 12th 1781”, to the commander of the field army after Rawdon’s departure, with the sensitive parts in cipher. The cipher runs, in order (the clear text between them is in the transcription):
… the escort will not be at Martin’s till Tuesday [?] … day notice is sent … detachment to wait [?] … for the militia will not keep Orangeburgh … possible at present to supply a post there; our present communication assisted by water carriage … keep it … two hundred guineas are rent [?] … spare, or is safe to send at once … not one dragoon is here; employed to the southward getting provisions, rice … your mounted convalescents belonging to your army … by then [the next?] escort … officers when recovered … as to Thomson, I am clear he will be better here; very dangerous; be assured [it] is greatly to be guarded against, as we are vulnerable in so many posts. The depot near Monk’s Corner put in a state of defence … to get possession of the boats upon the Santee by means of the negroes … the garrison [?] … Caldwell near you, but is not to act with the cavalry, by Lord Rawdon’s directions … from your intelligence that the enemy are in force on the other side low down, cross either at Manigault’s or Murray’s ferries, intercept the escort; a small movement of a corps towards Nelson’s would effectually cover them, if convenient.
06 Method
The two volumes of Intercepted Letters (848 images) were listed through the National Archives Catalog’s records API. The pages were fetched as JPEG 2000 and cut into strips, and three transcription agents copied every number, the interlinear letters and the decipherer’s marks: 6,349 cipher tokens on 17 pages.
A single number-to-letter table per sheet, aligned against the interlinear, agreed only 20–27%: the table changes inside a sheet. Saberton’s ring, given a setting for each word, read in long runs. A 25-letter alphabet fixed the remaining i/j and h/i slips, and then one ring order fitted every page. The braced groups proved to be the setting indicators. From then on the decoder (decode.py) works from the numbers alone: it reads an indicator’s number as A, skips fillers and prints lone numbers as numerals. Where an indicator has only two fillers and could also be the word “a” padded with fillers, the next 40 letters are scored both ways with the project’s English model. The only outside correction is the decipherer’s “should be 13”. Two fillers cut off at the page edge on p. 722 were restored as “4x” from the visible first digit, which completed two indicators.
Measured on the decoder’s output, a letter counts as read when a 24-letter window containing it scores at least −3.3 per letter on the en-modern model. No. 1: 1,213 of 1,213; No. 2: 1,292 of 1,292; No. 3: 237 of 237; B: 1,530 of 1,539; Stewart: 850 of 850. The same measure on the same numbers deciphered with a corrupted ring gives 0–2%. The project’s validation test (docs/_validate.py) scores the reading at −2.24 per letter, against −7.26 for random keys of the same shape and −4.16 for a key refitted to shuffled ciphertext: pass.
Against the interlinear as transcribed, the decoder agrees on 62–82% of letters where the interlinear is legible. The differences checked are faint or misread interlinear letters. The one real disagreement is in No. 3, where the cipher has the numeral 18 for the men lost and the decipherer wrote “fifteen”.
07 What remains uncertain
- Stewart letter: the table values 2, 3, 19 and 30 (five tokens). 30 reads as “w” in “will” and as “n” in “present” and may be a misread; the interlinear is illegible there. Grade C for the words around them.
- Twelve numbers in A and B illegible on the microfilm scan (page edges of pp. 718 and 724, blots); each falls inside a word that otherwise reads.
- No. 2, after “Sumpter’s”, and No. 3, after “acted with”: a word the cipher does not give (grade I). “Hightown” and “Pedee” at the end of No. 3 are conjectures for “hitown” and “s?edee” (grade C).
- Stewart letter: “Tuesday”, “rent” and “the next” are grade C; the runs are short, and the clear text between them has not been edited here.
- The cipher passages of Cornwallis to Wemyss and to Balfour (7 October 1780) and Craig to Cornwallis (23 July 1781), in the same volume, were not transcribed; their numbered translations are on pp. 759–761.
- The decipherer’s hand is not signed. James Lovell broke the cipher of Clinton and Cornwallis in 1781, and these pages are probably his work, but the hand has not been compared with his.
Full texts
The transcription and the decryption of every document on this page, so that the reading can be used and checked. Short files are shown here; all are in the repository.
A. Balfour to Cornwallis, Nos. 1-3, March 1781 (pp. 717-725)
Charleston news for Cornwallis after he left: the Chatham convoy with Governor Bull and Sir Egerton Leigh, the raid of Marion and Lee on Monk's Corner, Craig's seizure of Wilmington, Georgetown attacked, a fleet from Ireland, Arnold's express from the Chesapeake, Captain Barclay refusing to sail against the French, and Sumter beaten off at the Congarees and pursued by Rawdon and Watson.
Transcription
H | No. 1 ; page number 717 (top right) L01 | 33 19 37 45 31 - 24 50 8 69 16 - 3 11 14 73 18 17 14 3 19 26 - 21 17 61 92 17 29 11 I01 | the principal occu N01 | brace "}" written at the start of the interlinear, over 37/45. "14 3": the comma after 14 is a long slanted stroke; the next number reads 3 (could be taken as 13, but no second 1 is visible) L02 | 75 11 16 18 17 16 5 - 5 14 18 17 16 - 22 21 75 29 61 - 26 16 79 7 84 24 - 29 54 I02 | re?ces since yo? w left t L03 | 93 5 63 - 19 11 16 86 24 8 16 - 19 11 55 11 71 14 1 92 19 26 - 21 7 24 8 I03 | s are the arrival of th L04 | 16 78 - 17 8 19 24 8 19 61 4 - 25 14 24 8 - 17 97 21 18 64 1 21 22 - 7 11 I04 | e Chatham with convoy fr N04 | 78 could be 70; 22 before the dash is written over/through by the dash stroke L05 | 51 21 86 4 - 16 29 90 11 21 3 74 16 - 12 21 79 1 80 16 11 62 18 16 11 - I05 | o w Eng ? b? e Governor L06 | 9 29 60 26 83 72 26 - 19 75 18 80 13 - 5 14 90 11 79 - 16 12 16 11 24 I06 | Ba l Ca n ? St r Egert L07 | 21 18 - 26 91 16 74 14 12 62 8 - 3 19 5 81 94 5 16 18 12 16 11 90 I07 | on ?e ig h Pas senger L08 | 5 - 9 73 21 24 80 8 21 73 7 - 25 8 14 17 99 8 - 19 11 72 16 18 21 88 I08 | s both of which are no L09 | 25 - 19 76 24 84 82 24 70 8 51 16 - 9 21 80 19 94 11 13 - 73 21 7 3 21 I09 | wat the Board of tho N09 | a heavy dark-ink "o" is written over 7 (near the end), separate from the lighter interlinear hand L10 | 60 26 14 70 17 89 16 - 49 32 23 40 36 - 17 7 90 17 2 85 1 - 2 16 99 26 I10 | lice } fifty tho N10 | brace "}" in the interlinear over 40 36 (nothing written over 49 32 23 40 36) L11 | 11 81 3 50 23 15 19 80 - 4 26 75 11 54 15 52 19 3 - 6 23 14 9 50 7 I11 | usand pounds came i L12 | 89 15 83 - 2 16 70 9 70 - 6 16 23 51 2 16 23 95 14 - 3 16 97 9 70 I12 | n the Chatham she L13 | 23 21 52 58 21 7 84 5 9 89 19 - 29 - 7 23 97 15 11 23 56 21 1 - 47 I13 | arrived th January N13 | 58 could be 50 L14 | 5 30 31 40 - 5 12 5 90 14 26 83 2 7 23 - 13 5 14 99 50 14 19 81 I14 | } a Part of mari N14 | brace "}" in the interlinear over the dash / first 5 of the second group L15 | ? 16 60 - 5 16 1 83 17 89 25 50 25 - 15 4 14 12 59 14 19 15 89 25 1? I15 | on and Le e surprised N15 | first number lost in a stain at the left edge; last number at the right edge partly lost, looks like 1 L16 | 74 - 26 6 25 15 25 83 14 90 22 25 5 16 80 26 15 - 91 12 5 14 86 I16 | these rgean ts par L17 | 51 26 2 - 5 26 99 13 7 16 50 9 15 72 - 29 7 80 14 16 25 14 - 7 16 I17 | ty at monks ?orner on L18 | 89 26 6 51 25 - 2 - 23 25 89 24 14 4 5 14 2 - 9 19 84 17 53 80 17 I18 | the d February kill L19 | 25 1 - 26 7 51 21 5 16 60 1 87 - 13 5 1 80 25 - 15 7 91 13 25 93 - I19 | ed two and made ?? me N19 | 7 and 21 are underlined; ink blot after 93 at the right edge (final dash under the blot); blot also near 87
Transcription
H | 718 (page number, top left) L01 | 12 14 70 19 15 7 16 83 25 14 15 - 80 21 6 19 52 29 6 - 21 19 26 6 - 24 I01 | prisoners which with L02 | 4 93 14 16 80 19 16 50 22 - 89 26 6 14 25 70 25 52 - 21 5 22 89 7 I02 | urning three wag o N02 | interlinear between "three" and "o" faint/smudged; "o" written above 7 at line end L03 | 16 15 - 50 5 16 91 1 - 29 5 14 14 2 80 19 70 16 22 99 7 23 81 67 23 I03 | ns and carry ??? off N03 | "off" written in darker ink over 99 7 23 (a correction or re-writing); interlinear between "carry" and "off" faint L04 | 90 - 15 7 13 25 - 6 7 14 15 25 15 - 82 21 5 51 15 5 90 17 26 6 64 2? I04 | some horses was ? h N04 | caret "^" written between 17 and 26; last number cut off at the right edge (gutter), begins with 2 L05 | 2 - 5 23 84 60 23 25 29 90 25 73 1 - 45 36 43 42 9 - 13 3 4 ? I05 | y ef fect e d } col N05 | 5 (after the first dash) underlined; caret "^" under/between 29 and 90; brace "}" in the interlinear over 9 / the dash; a further number after 4 is cut off at the right edge L06 | 21 7 4 82 - 24 18 9 4 90 4 - 23 15 80 80 29 14 29 14 7 - 84 - 9 2? I06 | nel Smal l wi th ?ft? th N06 | interlinear over 29 14 29 14 7 partly crossed/overwritten; last number cut off at the right edge, begins with 2 L07 | 69 16 12 15 14 29 6 - 99 14 7 24 87 52 24 15 9 21 24 - 18 9 5 13 14 I07 | d Fifty Hes s ians marc N07 | 14 (fifth number) underlined; "Hes" written in darker ink over 99 14 7 L08 | 7 16 - 15 80 90 59 18 7 83 16 15 9 29 7 80 4 6 - 29 14 7 5 7 - 29 80 I08 | ed immediately there f? L09 | 14 73 7 13 14 1 60 5 13 71 14 - 23 9 24 12 3 5 81 29 15 12 6 7 16 - I09 | he church was for fifyed L10 | 9 21 54 16 59 29 65 14 80 7 55 - 15 21 14 9 17 15 29 9 21 29 24 - I10 | ?nd the ? Inhabitants N10 | the interlinear "?nd the" is struck through by a horizontal line L11 | 65 14 3 5 66 24 7 24 - 3 5 91 16 7 5 7 16 - 15 21 60 29 3 54 18 I11 | horses ordered into m L12 | 1 84 21 29 - 29 14 90 7 71 15 21 12 9 21 29 63 5 6 - 29 14 7 5 ? I12 | ?unt the Infantry ther N12 | final number after 5 cut off at the right edge L13 | 7 9 24 69 23 7 4 86 72 4 9 24 9 29 - 21 7 15 4 24 3 21 24 - 9? I13 | eas * wel l as at neilsons N13 | asterisk-like mark "*" in the interlinear before "wel"; last number partly cut at the right edge, looks like 9 L14 | 23 14 62 7 80 5 7 - 12 86 15 12 29 6 80 - 18 90 7 21 9 5 62 7 - I14 | where fifty men are N14 | 15 (after 86) has a blot/overstrike L15 | 2 4 9 13 7 16 89 57 - 47 49 31 25 40 - 25 6 11 25 29 80 11 69 7? I15 | placed } Two Tro N15 | 25 (fourth number of second group) underlined with the note "should be 13" written beneath; brace "}" in the interlinear over the dash before the third group; the 25 after that dash looks slightly retouched; last number cut at the edge, looks like 7 L16 | 11 5 1 - 23 2 12 8 29 - 7 11 21 11 2 8 91 21 - 14 8 61 2 6 54 4 7? I16 | ons under colonel Fenwi N16 | ditto-like marks "„" before the first number 11; last number cut at the edge, looks like 7 L17 | 18 - 13 2 12 - 21 4 8 80 23 25 55 8 2 13 2 25 - 7 13 3 74 5 16? I17 | k and Lieutenant Com N17 | last number cut at the edge, looks like 16 L18 | 8 93 21 - 71 - 29 8 15 4 61 3 8 89 2 25 - 29 13 4 1 80 4 2 12? I18 | el st Regiment Rals in? N18 | "st" written over 71; capital "R" in darker ink over 29; last number cut at the edge, a long-tailed figure, perhaps 12
Transcription
H | 719 (page number, top right) L01 | 13 2 12 - 50 4 67 2 14 11 29 6 13 29 12 2 70 8 1 - 32 40 25 39 41 38 - I01 | and i nforwardnes s N01 | brace "}" at the right end of the line, after 38 and the closing dash L02 | 3 13 19 12 16 82 17 13 3 - 22 15 8 26 25 14 54 29 15 9 62 3 55 13 I02 | The light compan ? of th N02 | a heavy dark-ink loop (like "Q" / "y" over-written) stands over 29, between "compan" and "of" L03 | 79 19 - 84 - 21 19 50 14 3 3 15 - 26 15 80 22 53 15 3 25 12 16 17 15 - I03 | e th se ntle po c otalico N03 | 53 (after 22) written in heavier ink, possibly retouched L04 | 3 90 15 22 15 11 19 18 - 96 3 13 72 25 3 22 15 2 80 14 3 18 56 29 - I04 | to cover th at country N04 | first number 3 has a blot after it; brace "}" below the end of the line (under 29 -), between this line and the next L05 | 9 57 18 79 83 15 8 92 - 26 12 2 80 14 6 19 18 59 21 - 47 1 32 30 I05 | from plunder s N05 | first number 9 partly blotted at the left edge L06 | 44 - 21 90 17 83 75 6 - 82 - 11 13 21 17 54 70 23 14 8 2 1 50 7 6 I06 | ?hed with convale L07 | 18 80 6 8 21 18 - 14 19 80 21 17 53 6 1 4 12 79 24 - 21 14 67 52 80 I07 | scents of the army to N07 | 8 (fourth number) written in heavy ink, possibly retouched L08 | 14 16 - 15 14 18 90 18 6 18 73 61 18 13 14 8 90 14 85 19 - 11 13 7 I08 | ok possession of wil L09 | 12 50 13 8 59 9 21 14 8 - 21 60 17 86 91 6 53 - 28 - 13 1 8 3 1 4 I09 | mington the th Januar N09 | the "J" of "Januar" descends across 13 L10 | 24 - 80 11 13 21 50 17 69 14 3 99 21 - 14 15 61 79 15 14 18 13 60 21 I10 | y without opposit N10 | first number 24 smudged, with a small mark before it; 21 before the second dash written in heavy ink (retouched) L11 | 13 14 8 - 49 22 30 40 - 11 7 17 93 17 26 17 15 25 - 29 50 17 3 80 I11 | ion } the enemy wer N11 | brace "}" in the interlinear over 30 40 L12 | 17 - 9 3 12 60 24 17 60 26 - 13 3 59 4 15 62 11 7 17 12 3 - 18 4 2 I12 | e driven from their pos L13 | 92 11 61 22 11 93 - 7 17 3 51 4 26 - 6 3 12 9 16 17 - 6 25 80 15 I13 | t at her on bridge by m N13 | 12 (after 6 3) written in heavier ink L14 | 22 12 4 60 3 - 19 3 50 22 12 79 16 - 33 25 40 - 3 67 92 13 51 19 52 - I14 | ajor Craig } the N14 | 60 (after 4) heavily overwritten/struck, reading uncertain (60?); brace "}" in the interlinear over 40 and the following dash; the "g" of Craig descends across 16 L15 | 90 8 25 18 16 14 51 19 21 - 25 50 14 86 6 72 - 21 19 25 59 8 19 14 - I15 | marines and seamen L16 | 12 25 14 6 19 73 6 99 - 65 25 53 14 6 92 25 - 26 15 21 3 - 22 12 I16 | landed and a hostil L17 | 84 15 21 53 19 - 3 15 80 90 3 90 13 57 19 - 50 3 15 5 86 14 - 3 I17 | ose to the town t L18 | 25 7 19 14 - 5 13 53 16 22 13 - 16 21 80 14 15 5 71 16 14 25 - 21 3 I18 | aken which is now in a st L19 | 25 62 3 19 80 - 15 9 74 6 19 9 83 19 14 22 19 - 14 15 3 71 3 15 I19 | ate of defence not to N19 | blot at the right edge after the last 15
Transcription
H | 720 (page number, top left) L01 | 84 62 23 19 - 9 15 18 22 19 6 - 23 2 3 89 23 29 54 25 - 12 25 18 I01 | be forced but by a la N01 | a large loop/circle is drawn in the left margin around the start of the line (84 62 23 19) L02 | 80 17 19 - 22 50 15 18 26 77 21 22 25 80 14 15 14 - 42 36 11 49 I02 | ge corps canon N02 | between 21 and 22 a figure (8 or 9?) is struck through, with a dash-like stroke under it; left out of the L line. 19 (third number) retouched L03 | 30 45 - 24 8 11 6 23 - 70 6 91 14 - 6 13 25 16 8 50 17 83 1 29 - I03 | Craig is informed N03 | the dash after 45 has a dot over it; the "g" of Craig descends across 23 L04 | 16 25 90 3 16 77 26 55 8 - 17 16 4 1 17 80 1 13 69 15 14 - 14 16 I04 | of your moovements so N04 | the first interlinear letter "o" is struck through L05 | 78 25 11 8 63 52 11 14 89 18 1 92 - 19 13 16 72 18 - 15 22 79 84? I05 | far as we know th N05 | last number cut at the right edge, looks like 84 L06 | 1 17 - 39 46 30 4 47 - 16 24 6 85 22 6 16 - 4 11 69 52 11 17 4 81 29 3? I06 | em } Tho not af tra?? N06 | brace "}" in the interlinear over 47 / the dash; interlinear at the right end smudged; last number cut at the edge, looks like 3 L07 | 6 11 89 70 16 51 24 54 2 - 23 29 57 25 29 69 60 16 29 4 - 22 90 I07 | of the mi li t?? N07 | interlinear over 69 60 16 smudged / blotted L08 | 6 8 83 - 4 5 4 29 22 13 16 - 53 24 29 65 23 - 8 29 13 24 2 13 I08 | ow against him wishes L09 | 23 90 7 21 24 - 11 80 6 17 56 4 - 17 2 93 2 22 11 6 70 17 21 2 23 I09 | much for are ento ?rem L10 | 2 22 16 - 16 70 24 29 54 13 - 29 71 13 62 22 6 97 16 80 - 29 2? I10 | ent this is not i N10 | 29 after the second dash smudged; last number cut at the edge, begins with 2 L11 | 75 23 65 15 81 - 19 6 8 50 2 17 - 16 6 73 13 2 54 22 52 3 - 46 I11 | my power to send N11 | last number at the right edge, 46 (partly cut) L12 | 12 47 40 33 - 21 26 62 21 12 22 - 12 11 99 11 50 65 6 21 26 - I12 | } he has all the N12 | brace "}" in the interlinear over 33 / the dash L13 | 12 23 6 3 14 11 26 22 - 17 12 52 24 6 26 90 15 - 8 16 93 6 73 2? I13 | articles wanted by t N13 | the interlinear "a" at the start is circled; last number cut at the edge, begins with 2 L14 | 26 - 12 23 74 5 16 - 12 24 15 60 3 22 - 1 26 23 4 26 14 6 11 16 I14 | e army and is perfectly L15 | 22 12 93 4 26 - 33 40 9 31 - 14 15 97 24 - 4 9 24 77 29 - 4 7 I15 | safe } his last le N15 | brace "}" in the interlinear over 9 31 L16 | 29 69 71 29 7 5 90 - 28 - 12 7 17 5 1 9 5 6 - 18 7 62 21 29 I16 | tter th February ment N16 | 7 (after 12) written in heavier ink; "th" written over 28 in darker ink L17 | 15 82 3 62 21 24 - 29 51 14 60 7 - 7 21 86 7 18 6 - 17 7 15 21 8 - 9 I17 | ions the Enemy being a N17 | 29 (after the first dash) in heavier ink; a dot/semicolon mark after the final 9 L18 | 70 17 3 1 65 29 - 24 15 22 14 99 1 21 16 5 7 16 - 9 21 16 70 15 21 - I18 | ?bout six hundred and in N18 | first number faint, read 70; an arc is drawn over "ed" in the interlinear L19 | 29 14 7 15 5 - 2 77 3 24 61 29 - 21 7 9 97 5 - 14 7 5 3 62 91 21 24 I19 | their post near Hero n? N19 | "H" of "Hero" written in darker ink, as a correction
Transcription
H | No. 2 ; page number 721 (top right) L01 | 17 5 15 16 8 7 - 39 26 40 37 - 24 2 73 60 14 22 16 - 25 3 26 71 23 I01 | } If you mea N01 | brace "}" over 37 and the following dash; "If" written in darker ink beside the "No. 2" heading L02 | 94 - 69 13 73 80 22 - 18 22 25 25 89 50 16 23 24 18 26 13 3 - 4 14 I02 | to communicate by N02 | "u" of "communicate" in darker ink; a small mark over the "t" L03 | 18 9 22 17 81 17 - 18 9 3 72 95 80 3 29 - 13 5 69 3 - 4 26 23 29 73 I03 | cre? s l?c e ek the Bank N03 | 95 could be 93 L04 | 17 - 22 52 2 61 13 54 5 78 3 69 - 9 24 7 3 9 - 25 62 16 17 13 4 91 I04 | s of the River must b N04 | the descender of the interlinear "f" runs across 2 (after 52); 78 could be 70 L05 | 3 67 - 18 1 3 26 9 3 21 - 26 72 17 90 13 77 80 81 5 90 3 - 3 50 23 I05 | e cleared as the en N05 | 17 (after 72) retouched; 80 (after 77) in heavier ink L06 | 3 54 25 90 14 - 5 26 7 84 3 - 84 6 22 93 17 51 13 17 - 22 23 97 I06 | emy have posts on L07 | 24 52 13 - 30 47 8 46 30 49 - 21 4 1 22 21 90 4 - 19 1 76 13 54 I07 | it } George Tow N07 | brace "}" over 49 and the following dash; the "G" flourish runs back across the dash; the "g" descends across 21 (after 22) L08 | 29 - 13 8 50 6 73 - 8 19 77 91 19 8 15 11 4 70 26 - 8 90 29 52 26 - I08 | n was attacked and N08 | 13 (after the first dash) heavily overwritten in darker ink, reading uncertain (13?) L09 | 15 1 5 53 86 1 29 4 5 - 15 8 24 25 14 4 5 - 13 2 19 3 - 6 1 24 69 I09 | Colonel Campbel with som L10 | 4 96 - 18 4 61 53 13 52 80 - 24 54 4 61 29 19 8 51 11 4 29 - 25 22 I10 | e few men taken pr N10 | the first number 4 is circled L11 | 2 6 1 62 29 4 22 6 - 8 6 71 19 3 55 4 63 7 - 6 79 5 4 25 19 - I11 | isoners as they u kept N11 | 6 (after 8) in heavier ink; 5 (after 79) overwritten in heavy ink L12 | 2 29 60 8 - 3 1 9 52 6 93 4 - 1 9 19 60 1 18 79 19 3 71 4 - 22 4 I12 | in a hous e out of the re N12 | 4 before the second dash is struck/overwritten L13 | 26 1 9 14 19 - 39 13 45 31 - 1 11 50 3 8 - 1 3 13 21 62 21 83 - I13 | Doubt } some small ? N13 | brace "}" over 31 and the following dash; interlinear over 62 21 83 smudged L14 | 5 13 29 25 4 8 1 - 11 14 3 8 2 - 26 13 22 90 8 - 1 4 2 7 8 - I14 | parties of men have since L15 | 16 93 8 52 71 8 2 - 13 25 59 25 26 13 57 25 - 5 11 61 1 25 - I15 | been at that post N15 | a dot before the first number 16 L16 | 14 29 11 3 60 25 26 8 89 - 16 13 12 - 7 11 2 12 23 7 61 25 - 11 14 I16 | from the bad conduc? of L17 | 53 25 70 26 54 8 - 11 14 67 80 14 4 1 8 29 1 - 43 30 14 40 37 49 - I17 | the officers } N17 | brace "}" at the right end over 49 and the final dash L18 | 21 14 1 69 73 1 11 1 86 3 19 - 11 19 1 25 94 16 82 - 29 25 54 13 18 I18 | Farinings I now move N18 | the "g" descender runs across 3 (after 86) L19 | 50 4 - 21 6 25 29 70 9 2 53 18 1 26 18 89 - 14 99 1 54 4 - 11 25 1? I19 | d from thence and jo N19 | last number at the right edge partly cut, 1 then an unclear figure (11 or 17?); a flourish line drawn below the start of the line
Transcription
H | "3" at top right (page number); "722" in left margin beside line 2 (folio stamp)
L01 | 1 60 18 77 4 - 62 16 14 9 19 25 1 19 - 26 93 25 6 23 19 - 30 16 33 4x
I01 | ned watsons corps
N01 | last number "4" at the right edge; a trace may follow it in the binding margin
L02 | 37 - 16 8 14 23 16 12 4 52 2 14 11 23 - 99 5 15 72 5 11 14 - 4 22 11
I02 | a detachment of one hun
L03 | 85 8 1 14 76 8 - 2 14 11 62 16 53 1 55 14 - 11 5 19 80 18 63 11 87 -
I03 | dred men are now in
L04 | 26 14 5 1 26 14 - 23 5 19 89 11 - 22 11 8 14 1 - 12 16 72 24 23 16 18 11 -
I04 | george town under captain
L05 | 86 91 26 1 16 17 - 5 93 15 74 15 16 11 18 11 26 25 - 32 40 6 45 30 47 -
I05 | gray of fanings
N05 | a brace/"3"-like mark at the right end of the interlinear, after "fanings", over 32-47 (nothing written over 32 40 6 45 30 47)
L06 | 6 16 15 13 99 50 13 5 - 90 16 2 18 73 80 26 - 8 2 13 15 6 4 17 - 1
I06 | a fleet from ireland w
N06 | last interlinear letter at the edge, read as "w" (continues "ith" on the next line)
L07 | 8 5 67 12 - 21 2 18 29 8 11 8 18 4 11 75 - 6 4 92 17 84 11 5 18 5?
I07 | ith provisions and sto
N07 | "21" written with a smudged 1; last number "5" at the right edge, a second digit may be lost in the margin
L08 | 2 13 11 - 77 24 4 17 13 80 2 55 - 9 18 4 29 18 23 - 18 88 16 5 12
I08 | res under convoy of th
N08 | a curved mark "(" in the left margin; stroke between 29 and 18 is the descender of the interlinear "y"
L09 | 62 13 - 6 11 70 93 11 24 2 6 84 4 9 13 - 6 90 2 83 50 67 2 8 29
I09 | e assurance ar riv
L10 | 13 56 17 - 23 - 24 15 5 70 71 - 6 4 17 19 13 8 4 7 - 8 4 90 1 6
I10 | e d d ult: and being in wa
N10 | the two "d" over 56 and 17/23 are drawn with curved strokes, as if bracketed; colon after "ult"
L11 | 53 5 - 18 72 16 51 1 6 5 74 13 2 - 21 24 5 8 90 4 5 18 - 76 5 12
I11 | t of water putinto th
N11 | the "5" before the final 12 is overwritten/inked heavily (possible correction)
L12 | 8 11 6 50 4 17 - 19 13 6 24 16 18 2 84 5 - 19 80 13 16 18 2 13 -
I12 | is and beaufort before
L13 | 50 5 12 79 13 23 - 21 2 18 9 13 56 13 17 - 5 18 23 18 2 14 - 4x
I13 | they proce ed to york
L14 | 2 49 30 42 - 2 16 2 5 6 29 14 - 57 1 12 13 82 9 - 29 17 25 19
I14 | a packet from engl
N14 | a brace "{" written before "a packet" in the interlinear
L15 | 17 24 - 4 22 14 23 - 24 15 16 19 22 5 2 14 29 8 - 13 1 14 23 29 - 24
I15 | nd with duplicates of the d
N15 | last interlinear letter at the edge, looks like "i" with a cap; read "d" (continues "ispatches")
L16 | 22 8 16 2 14 5 23 29 8 - 11 21 12 13 8 99 76 8 - 20 - 15 19 14 -
I16 | ispatches by ros s ????
N16 | after "by" the decipherer wrote "Ros" with a heavy capital, then "s" over 8, then 3-4 unclear letters (like "Hul" plus a mark) over 20 - 15 19 14
L17 | 36 39 30 41 22 39 - 4 26 11 7 17 - 14 22 2 11 4 13 - 13 17 6 3 5
I17 | on the ?ast of febr
N17 | a "?"-like mark above 22 39 at the start of the interlinear; first letter of "?ast" smudged (probably "l")
L18 | 22 3 25 - 22 18 22 90 19 8 17 86 11 - 2 22 12 14 17 9 - 13 50 4 3 9
I18 | ary a packet sailed for
N18 | "for" has its last letters written over/corrected; a faint "2" in the margin after the final 9
L19 | - 17 26 16 14 22 26 9 - 29 12 11 7 22 19 70 19 4 5 26 11 2 - 4 60
I19 | england with ac counts o
N19 | rest of the page blank below line 19Transcription
H | "723" at top right (folio stamp)
L01 | 13 25 4 5 79 2 - 6 17 12 26 16 22 94 11 - 2 22 63 14 17 15 - 22
I01 | f your being at sa le m a
N01 | the stroke through 25 and 16 is the descender of interlinear letters; "m" over 17 written heavily
L02 | 26 9 11 52 7 17 - 2 11 22 11 17 90 4 59 65 13 - 22 13 84 13 22
I02 | nd the state of af fa
L03 | 61 12 3 2 - 7 17 69 3 17 - 49 18 37 41 35 - 18 6 11 15 61 9 13 11 16
I03 | ?irs here are xpres
N03 | first interlinear letter over 61 is a crossed capital (looks like "F"/"I"); nothing over 49 18 37 41 35; a brace "}" before "are" over the dash after 35
L04 | - 5 13 19 82 22 86 - 24 11 6 89 11 13 18 23 - 18 13 6 19 23 2 -
I04 | from general arnold
L05 | 1 52 6 7 60 29 11 - 3 29 11 16 18 9 11 18 25 - 23 - 12 23 7 1 22
I05 | int he chesapeak e ultim
N05 | interlinear over 7 60 29 11 reads "T wo"/"the" with overwriting; letters over 23 - 12 23 7 1 22 partly overwritten ("ð Ultim"); the 18 after 16 is inked over
L06 | 19 - 1 6 80 5 19 13 22 1 50 6 24 - 19 5 72 18 83 - 5 13 11 6 3 29 -
I06 | o informing of a french
N06 | a curved bracket ")" around the leading 19 in the left margin
L07 | 64 - 18 90 6 53 2 62 7 19 50 14 - 5 13 1 24 18 7 16 - 29 18 8 1
I07 | sixtyfour and two frigats hadi
N07 | "Sixtyfour" written small in the left margin over 64; "two" written small above, over the underlined 19 and 14 (19 and 14 underlined in the cipher line)
L08 | 56 6 29 - 21 23 19 3 25 11 2 12 9 - 7 29 18 7 9 23 18 3 11 -
I08 | ng blocked up that place
L09 | 18 90 6 53 2 84 - 2 11 16 1 13 1 50 6 24 - 18 16 56 71 16 1 16
I09 | and des?ring as sis
N09 | letter over 1 in "des?ring" looks like "t" (probably "i")
L10 | 7 18 6 3 11 - 41 16 30 - 23 4 18? 90 25 - 3 14 23 99 81 23 14 1 -
I10 | tance this ?et ter
N10 | small mark before the leading 7; ink blot over the "18" after 4 (reading 18 not certain); brace "}" over 41 16 30 (nothing written over them); first letter of "?et" looks like "b" (probably "l")
L11 | 19 16 25 25 4 14 19 11 - 23 5 12 16 24 23 16 18 11 - 7 16 1 12 80
I11 | was shewn to captain bar c
L12 | 3 16 17 - 19 4 87 51 5 - 16 3 23 4 5 - 24 5 25 55 78 25 14 25
I12 | lay who altho posses
L13 | 14 81 8 - 5 53 15 23 4 60 14 - 12 4 16 23 61 4 16 2 - 12 16 1 17
I13 | ed of the chatham cary
N13 | "4,60" - the 60 written heavily, possibly over an earlier figure
L14 | 62 25 15 5 89 1 23 - 16 25 25 22 1 16 11 12 14 - 26 16 50 3 16
I14 | sfort assurance bala
N14 | interlinear "fo" overwritten in dark ink and "t" written darker with a cross stroke (decipherer's corrections); a stroke through the 14 before the dash
L15 | 23 14 16 - 70 16 11 92 8 - 7 3 50 5 11 8 14 - 19 5 22 3 69 8 11
I15 | tea and pl onde would
L16 | 5 52 23 - 24 1 5 12 14 56 94? 14 8 - 18 11 80 29 22 14 25 23 89
I16 | ot proce ed in quest
N16 | "94?" written like "9h"
L17 | 5 15 - 23 4 14 56 70 14 11 14 2 17 - 33 35 29 46 31 - 18 9 22 -
I17 | of the enemy the
N17 | brace "}" before "The" over the dash after 31; nothing over 33 35 29 46 31; 29 underlined
L18 | 25 9 29 61 18 9 29 7 - 2 17 18 52 9 59 72 9 22 26 - 25 8 12
I18 | chatham with her con
L19 | 3 8 64? 5 - 4 29 17 16 22 23 - 26 - 6 70 8 91 26 - 12 22 2 5 8 86
I19 | o o y failed ?? for newpo
N19 | "64?" written "6" followed by a cramped/overwritten "4"; over 26 the decipherer wrote a crossed "tt"/"th" sign; rest of page blank, a small caret mark below the text blockTranscription
H | "724" at top left (folio stamp), written above line 1 next to the interlinear "rk" N00 | On this page the interlinear is very faint and confused by show-through; many I-letters are uncertain. The photo also cuts the right edge: numbers at line ends marked "?" may be incomplete or followed by lost numbers. L01 | 26 13 - 40 5 30 40 39 - 15 4 13 12 26 25 14 - 6 97 5 18 19 16 ? I01 | rk sumpter havin N01 | first number 26 inked over (26 or 28); brace "}" over the dash after 39, nothing over 40 5 30 40 39; the 5 after 97 is struck through with a horizontal stroke; line cut at right after 16 (a further number, starting "9"?, lost) L02 | 14 5 19 62 15 25 1 - 5 26 90 51 17 25 5 15 26 - 26 6 14 25 89 7? I02 | raised at . least thre N02 | "a" of "least" and "T" of "thre" written heavily over earlier letters (corrections); line cut at right after 7 L03 | 25 6 4 16 1 14 25 1 80 - 13 25 64 16 - 5 26 70 26 5 29 9 25 8? I03 | ehundred men r?t??e? N03 | interlinear after "men" faint (letters like r, i, t, t, i, e); final number at the edge, read 8 L04 | 1 97 - 29 7 16 22 5 50 14 25 92 53 25 15 - 16 19 16 25 26 2? I04 | ?con?????es inet? N04 | 50 after 5 written heavily (possible correction); interlinear faint; "inet" over 16 19 16 25; line cut at right L05 | 25 16 26 60 6 - 4 17 26 93 - 24 4 26 82 24 2 87 26 73 6 ? I05 | ?n ????? th N05 | interlinear almost entirely illegible (only "n" near start and "t h" at the end over 73 6); line cut at right L06 | 29 7 16 1 4 83 29 26 7 23 - 13 5 3 99 21 25 17 - 21 93 6? I06 | conduct of may ? N06 | line cut at right, last number possibly 6 or 8 L07 | 54 15 - 24 25 5 26 7 23 60 23 - 5 79 26 52 - 26 6 7 13 12 I07 | ?s?eatof fat t? N07 | interlinear faint; letters over 24-23 read "v ? e a t o f", "f a t" over 23 - 5 79, "t" over 26 L08 | 15 7 16 15 - 6 25 91 6 5 1 84 26 6 51 25 - 15 5 13 25 - 23 ? I08 | shos he had the same ? N08 | line cut at right after 23 (one number lost, starting "3"/"5"?) L09 | 69 26 25 - 5 16 81 1 21 5 15 - 23 7 14 56 29 25 1 92 - 26 ? I09 | and was ? ? ? ? ed N09 | interlinear faint after "was"; line cut at right after 26 L10 | 7 29 14 7 15 84 59 15 26 6 73 25 - 15 5 16 26 25 50 72 25 I10 | ? ? r ? s t ? ? s ? ? c N10 | interlinear very faint; ink blot on 73 L11 | 49 33 17 40 49 - 18 2 24 7 - 24 17 22 7 2 3 92 - 21 2 60 23 12 ? I11 | lord rawdon mo??? N11 | brace "}" over the dash after 49; nothing over 49 33 17 40 49; line cut at right after 12 L12 | 22 26 50 1 15 14 24 12 17 1 - 29 11 66 12 83 52 12 7 - 17 8 1 12 24 I12 | ?????? ???? c?da?? N12 | interlinear illegible except "c d a" near the end L13 | 70 15 26 21 - 90 1 63 2 - 16 2 93 3 14 17 24 12 66 12 29 - 16 17 I13 | ????o bo??r?ce? ?a N13 | interlinear faint; "o b o" around 90 1 63, "r ? c e" around 24-66, "a" at the end L14 | 7 12 3 17 3 54 7 91 - 29 25 21 11 1 12 24 80 29 - 18 30 49 41 ? I14 | ?nnand sumpter N14 | nothing legible over 18 30 49 41; line cut at right after 41 L15 | 2 11 7 18 3 54 29 1 93 6 24 - 64 - 18 91 6 53 2 - 26 19 13 25 I15 | ?????f?? th ??nd ?or N15 | interlinear very faint; a crossed "th" sign written over 64 with a horizontal stroke; "n d" near 6 53; "o r" over 13 25 (probably "your") L16 | 8 19 23 60 12 6 7 11 55 11 13 16 - 99 1 70 6 16 12 3 29 - 2 7? I16 | ??be?an? ?? nsuch ? N16 | line cut at right after 7 L17 | 1 13 11 3 7 1 19 6 16 - 18 16 24 18 8 11 - 93 13 11 18 72 16 ? I17 | ?ction again rea N17 | line cut at right after 16 L18 | 6 - 7 19 11 15 9 11 3 7 - 7 91 29 52 11 71 - 16 12 3 97 3 11 1? I18 | nto expect ??? es?c N18 | interlinear faint after "expect"; last number at edge, "1" possibly part of a longer number L19 | 89 51 16 29 57 1 16 - 22 19 8 11 22 11 6 7 16 - 22 60 11 13 1 7 1? I19 | ?shis??o ???? N19 | interlinear very faint: "s h i s" over 51-57, rest illegible; last number at edge L20 | - 37 40 14 35 36 - 15 12? 29 11 19 26 25 1 4 17 26 9 - 11 1 I20 | by mis?????? N20 | brace "}" over the dash after 36; nothing over 37 40 14 35 36; the 12 after 15 is struck through (or overwritten); both 26 written heavily; rest of interlinear faint; bottom of page reached, no blank area
Transcription
H | "No 3" (centred, underlined) at the top, above line 1; "725" at top right (folio stamp) L01 | - 19 25 29 18 - 25 21 80 9 63 2 51 18 - 4 18 9 14 26 2 29 18 I01 | some of the detachme N01 | at the left margin before 19 a short double stroke with a mark under it (like "=" over "s"); not certain it is a cipher dash. The "t" of "the" is written under the "No 3" underline L02 | 1 9 19 - 14 1 60 4 73 25 9 2 18 6 - 17 1 21 25 6 18 93 19 18 I02 | nts and other unforese L03 | 86 53 18 1 - 18 13 54 18 1 9 19 - 2 18 99 25 1 24 12 8? 25 9 I03 | en events he only got N03 | "8?" after 12 is crossed by the descender of the interlinear "g" L04 | 56 14 9 2 61 11 29 - 14 19 63 50 2 73 18 - 26 6 25 19 99 81 I04 | ath imas he cros L05 | 19 18 50 4 - 9 2 18 51 - 6 11 13 13 6 - 15 12 16 14 9 19 25 I05 | sed the river by watso N05 | the second 13 is underlined; "so" of "watso" written heavily over earlier letters L06 | 1 19 - 26 25 6 23 19 - 41 30 16 33 44 - 19 4 18 60 12 4 - I06 | ns corps which N06 | the 26 after the dash is written heavily (possibly corrected); a brace "3"/"}" before "which"; no letters over 41 30 16 33 44 L07 | 16 12 23 14 8 19 18 23 4 - 16 11 50 8 61 - 8 1 5 6 14 - 4 18 I07 | actedwith aad dro??ki N07 | after "with": "a a d" (probably "and"), then "d r o ? e" and "ki" at the edge; the final 18 is written heavily L08 | 95 2 52 61 - 19 60 18 53 23 74 4 - 23 4 14 3 5 25 73 25 5 I08 | m with ?e?i? N08 | interlinear faint after "with" L09 | 15 - 18 - 2 14 11 16 11 63 8 - 40 - 4 5 1 76 25 14 25 - 19 14 3 I09 | fifteen men and forty ??????? wel N09 | in the left margin "4" and "fifteen" (small, partly struck through) over 15 - 18; "men and forty" written over 2-40 with overwriting; nothing legible over 4 5 1 76 25 14 25 L10 | 5 25 23 - 11 5 50 11 14 - 36 11? 39 41 - 18 11 15 14 16 13 6 14 - I10 | ost ho?e watsonis N10 | "11?" after 36 faint/smudged; brace "}" over the dash after 41, nothing over 36 11 39 41; letter between "ho" and "e" unclear (n/r) L11 | 13 16 18 6 75 13 - 7 26 70 8 14 26 6 15 - 16 25 22 6 17 11 13 I11 | nowi npu rsuit of himan N11 | first 6 written heavily; a stroke through 25 (descender of interlinear "f") L12 | 60 29 - 17 11 51 8 73 8 6 16 13 - 18 6 15 22 15 79 22 82 1 - I12 | d marrion with the L13 | 84 64 - 22 6 79 15 16 18 13 - 11 13 75 29 - 25 11 73 62 54 I13 | h? town ??d? ? N13 | interlinear faint after "town" L14 | 13? 52 6 13 23? 14 - 33 4 47 - 25 6 17 3 61 - 17 4 8 3 I14 | n???? lord rawd N14 | first number smudged (13?); "23?" could be 28; brace "}" over the dash after 47, nothing over 33 4 47 L15 | 62 6 22 - 29 13 4 25 13 6 - 16 6 83 8 4 17 79 3 13 - I15 | on isalso towards L16 | 13? 76 2 59 3 65 52 90 2 97 50 83 2 - I16 | ned ? e ? e N16 | first number faint (13?); interlinear faint: "n e d" at the start, "e" over 52, "e" over 50; line ends with a long dash; rest of page blank (no signature; one ink spot in the lower left margin)
Decipherment of the time: decoded.txt
Decryption
# A: decode.py output, line by line (| = setting indicator, <n> = numeral in clear, [n] = number with no value, ? = illegible) p717 L01 | the principal occur p717 L02 rences since you left u p717 L03 s arethe arrival ofth p717 L04 e chatham with convoy fr p717 L05 om europe governer p717 L06 bull and sir egert p717 L07 on leigh passenger p717 L08 s bothof which areno p717 L09 w atthe board ofpo p717 L10 lice | fifty tho p717 L11 usand pounds camei p717 L12 n the chatham she p717 L13 arrived <29> ianuary p717 L14 | apartyof marri p717 L15 ?n andlee surprised? p717 L16 thesergeants par p717 L17 ty atmonks corner on p717 L18 the <2> february kill p717 L19 ed towand made some p718 L01 prisoners which with b p718 L02 urning three wago p718 L03 ns and carryingoff p718 L04 some horses wasalthy? p718 L05 y affeced | col? p718 L06 nel small withthe <84> ap? p718 L07 dfihty hessians march p718 L08 ed imediately there t p718 L09 hechurch wasfortifyed p718 L10 andthe inhabitants p718 L11 horses ordered intom p718 L12 unt theinfantry ther? p718 L13 easwellasat neilsons a? p718 L14 where fifty menare p718 L15 placed | twotroc? p718 L16 ops under colonel fenwic? p718 L17 k and lieutenant campb? p718 L18 el <71> regiment raisind? p719 L01 and inforwardnes | p719 L02 thelight companyofth p719 L03 e <84> sentto pocotaligo p719 L04 tocover thatcountry p719 L05 from plunders | p719 L06 the <82> withconvale p719 L07 sents ofthearmy to p719 L08 ok possessionof wil p719 L09 mington the <28> ianuar p719 L10 y without opposit p719 L11 ion | theenemy wer p719 L12 e driven fromtheir pos p719 L13 tat heron bridge bym p719 L14 aior craig | the p719 L15 marines and seamen p719 L16 landed anda post cl p719 L17 ose tothe town t p719 L18 aken which isnowina st p719 L19 ate ofdefence notto p720 L01 be forced butbya lar p720 L02 ge corpscanon | p720 L03 craig is informed p720 L04 ofyour movements so p720 L05 faraswe know th p720 L06 em | thonot affraid? p720 L07 ofthe militia n p720 L08 ow against him wishes p720 L09 much fora reenforcem p720 L10 ent this isnot ie? p720 L11 my power tosend p720 L12 | hehas allthe p720 L13 articles wanted bytk? p720 L14 e army andis perfectly p720 L15 safe | his last le p720 L16 tter <28> february ment p720 L17 ions the enemy being a p720 L18 bout sixhundred andin p720 L19 their post near herons p721 L01 bridge | ifyou mean p721 L02 to communicate by p721 L03 cross creek the bank p721 L04 s ofthe river mustb p721 L05 e cleared asthe en p721 L06 emy have posts on p721 L07 it | george tow p721 L08 n was attacked and p721 L09 colonel campbel with som p721 L10 e few mentaken pr p721 L11 isoners asthey slept p721 L12 ina house outofthe re p721 L13 doubt | some small p721 L14 parties ofmen have since p721 L15 been atthat post p721 L16 fromthe bad conduct of p721 L17 the offisers | p721 L18 fannings isnow move p721 L19 d fromthence and ion? p722 L01 ned watsons corps | p722 L02 adetachment ofone hun p722 L03 dred menare nowin p722 L04 george town under captain p722 L05 gray offanings | p722 L06 afleet from ireland w p722 L07 ith provisions andstot? p722 L08 res under convoy ofth p722 L09 e assurance arriv p722 L10 ed <23> ult andbeing inwa p722 L11 t ofwater putinto th p722 L12 isand beaufort before p722 L13 they proceed toyork p722 L14 | apacket from engl p722 L15 nd with duplicates ofthe d p722 L16 ispatches byross <20> ult p722 L17 | onthe lastof febru p722 L18 ary apacket sailed ford p722 L19 england withaccounts o p723 L01 fyous beingat salem a p723 L02 ndthe stateof affa p723 L03 irs here | anexpres p723 L04 from general arnold p723 L05 inthe chesapeak <23> ultim p723 L06 o informing ofa french p723 L07 <64> andtow frigats havi p723 L08 nh blockedup thatplace p723 L09 and desiring assis p723 L10 tance | thi?s letter p723 L11 wasshewn tocaptain barc p723 L12 lay who altho posses p723 L13 ed ofthe chatham cary p723 L14 sfort assurance gala p723 L15 tea and blonde wouldn p723 L16 ot proceed inquest p723 L17 of theenemy | the p723 L18 chatham withher con p723 L19 voy sailed <26> for newyo p724 L00 p724 L01 rk | sumpter havin? p724 L02 raised atleast threo? p724 L03 ehundred men attackeq? p724 L04 d congarees ninety? p724 L05 enth ult butbyth? p724 L06 conductof maxwel wh? p724 L07 s beatoff at thomp p724 L08 sons hehadthe same f? p724 L09 te andwas forced t? p724 L10 ocrossthe santee p724 L11 | lord rawdon move? p724 L12 withgreat speed after p724 L13 him to congarees ca p724 L14 denand sumpters | p724 L15 detaching <64> and york p724 L16 volunteers insuch dt? p724 L17 irections asgave reas? p724 L18 n toexpect the succei? p724 L19 shis movements meriti? p724 L20 | by?misconduct in p725 L01 some ofthe detachme p725 L02 nts andother unforese p725 L03 en events heonlyz?ot p725 L04 athim ashe cros p725 L05 sed the rivvr bywatso p725 L06 ns corps | which p725 L07 actedwith and drove hi p725 L08 m with thelosso p725 L09 f <18> menand <40> horses wel p725 L10 ost none | watsonis p725 L11 nowin pursuit ofhiman p725 L12 d marrion withthe p725 L13 hitown and fa p725 L14 n?ing?s | lord rawd p725 L15 on isalso towards p725 L16 s?edee
Reading
# A. Balfour to Cornwallis, Charleston, early March 1781, Nos. 1-3 (pp. 717-725) **No. 1.** The principal occurrences since you left us are the arrival of the Chatham with convoy from Europe, Governor Bull and Sir Egerton Leigh passengers, both of which are now at the Board of Police. Fifty thousand pounds came in the Chatham; she arrived 29 January. A party of Marion and Lee surprised the sergeant's party at Monk's Corner on the 2 February, killed two and made some prisoners, which, with burning three waggons and carrying off some horses, was all they effected. Colonel Small with the 84 and fifty Hessians marched immediately there; the church was fortified and the inhabitants' horses ordered in to mount the infantry there, as well as at Neilson's, where fifty men are placed. Two troops under Colonel Fenwick and Lieutenant Campbell, 71 regiment, raising and in forwardness. The light company of the 84 sent to Pocotaligo to cover that country from plunderers. The 82 with convalescents of the army took possession of Wilmington the 28 January without opposition; the enemy were driven from their post at Heron's Bridge by Major Craig; the marines and seamen landed and a post close to the town taken, which is now in a state of defence not to be forced but by a large corps [with] cannon. Craig is informed of your movements so far as we know them. Tho' not afraid of the militia now against him, wishes much for a reinforcement; this is not in my power to send. He has all the articles wanted by the army and is perfectly safe. His last letter, 28 February, mentions the enemy being about six hundred and in their post near Heron's **No. 2.** Bridge. If you mean to communicate by Cross Creek the banks of the river must be cleared, as the enemy have posts on it. Georgetown was attacked and Colonel Campbell with some few men taken prisoners as they slept in a house out of the redoubt. Some small parties of men have since been at that post, from the bad conduct of the officers. Fanning's is now moved from thence and joined Watson's corps; a detachment of one hundred men are now in Georgetown under Captain Gray of Fanning's. A fleet from Ireland with provisions and stores under convoy of the Assurance arrived 23 ult., and being in want of water put into this and Beaufort before they proceed to York. A packet from England with duplicates of the dispatches by Ross 20 ult. On the last of February a packet sailed for England with accounts of your being at Salem and the state of affairs here. An express from General Arnold in the Chesapeak 23 ultimo, informing of a French 64 and two frigates having blocked up that place, and desiring assistance. This letter was shewn to Captain Barclay, who altho' possessed of the Chatham, Carysfort, Assurance, Galatea and Blonde, would not proceed in quest of the enemy. The Chatham with her convoy sailed 26 for New York. Sumpter, having raised at least three hundred men, attacked Congarees nineteenth ult., but by the conduct of Maxwell was beat off; at Thompson's he had the same fate and was forced to cross the Santee. Lord Rawdon moved with great speed after him to Congarees, Camden and Sumpter's [?], detaching 64 and York Volunteers in such directions as gave reason to expect the success his movements merited, by misconduct in **No. 3.** some of the detachments and other unforeseen events he only got at him as he crossed the river, by Watson's corps, which acted with [...] and drove him with the loss of 18 men and 40 horses; we lost none. Watson is now in pursuit of him, and Marion with the [Hightown?] and Fanning's. Lord Rawdon is also towards [Pedee?] Notes. "Sumpter's [?]" is "sumpters" followed by a setting change; a word may be lost there. In No. 3 the cipher has the numeral 18 for the men lost; the decipherer wrote "fifteen" (and "4 fifteen" in the margin). "[Hightown?]" is "hitown"; "[Pedee?]" is "s?edee" at the foot of the sheet, where the letter breaks off.
B. Balfour to Cornwallis, about March 1781 (pp. 729-732)
Arnold's plan to raid the Albemarle Sound and Newbern; Balfour has sent Arnold the cipher by Evans; Savannah short of provisions, the frontier under pressure; what to do with the troops from England and the Wilmington post; Rodney's capture of St Eustatius and a Dutch war certain.
Transcription
H | large "3" at top left (letter number?) ; page number 729 (top right). Most cipher lines begin with an inverted-comma mark ("), as if quoting
L01 | 80 76 23 54 - 7 65 15 - 13 9 15 - 23 21 15 26 8 19 3 - 8 9 2 9 21 -
I01 | In gen arnolds leter
N01 | the large "3" and the "I" of "In" stand over 80 76 23 54; "In" over 7 65 15 is not clear, the interlinear starts "3 I n gen"
L02 | 7 3 2 16 9 - 17 26 8 26 24 7 15 13 - 14 23 21 23 13 21 23 4 16 - 7 17
I02 | is the folowing paragraph It
N02 | a long stroke/brace before 14 and before the second 13; the 4 in "23 4 16" has an extra stroke; inverted comma before "7 17"
L03 | 2 16 9 - 6 26 26 4 9 21 23 2 7 26 15 - 24 7 8 22 9 - 26 17 3 9 21 5 7 6 9 -
I03 | the cooperation wilbe of service
N03 | the 23 in "21 23 2" is in heavier ink (overwritten); no dash between "of" and "service": "26 17 3 9 21 5 7 6 9" is one run
L04 | 7 7 15 2 9 15 19 - 2 26 3 9 15 19 - 3 26 14 9 22 26 23 2 3 - 24 7 2 53 16 -
I04 | I intend to send some boats with
N04 | the 3 after "2 26" is overwritten/heavy (3 over 8?); no dash between "2 26" and "3 9 15 19" (only a dot); no dash inside "3 26 14 9 22 26 23 2 3"
L05 | 17 26 11 21 26 21 17 7? 5 9 - 16 11 15 19 21 9 19 - 77 14 65 9 54 15 -
I05 | four or five hundred Mien
N05 | after "21 17" an ink blot covers a figure (struck/blotted out), then a faint 7; read "17 [blot] 7 5 9". 77 could be 72
L06 | 2 16 21 26 11 13 16 - 6 11 21 92 66 21 23 2 11 6 12 - 7 15 8 9 2 - 2 26 3
I06 | through cur ratuck Inlet to s
N06 | "92" could be read "9 2" (small gap, no dot visible); 15 in "7 15 8" written heavily over another figure; final 3 heavy (over 8?)
L07 | 24 9 72 9 4 - 2 16 9 - 23 8 22 9 14 23 21 8 9 - 3 26 11 15 19 - 23 3
I07 | we ep the albemarle sound as
N07 | no dot between 11 and 15 ("26,11 15,19")
L08 | 16 7 13 16 23 3 - 9 19 9 15 2 26 24 15 - 23 96 15 94 19 - 2 26 13 26 -
I08 | high as edentown and to go
N08 | "13 16 23" heavy ink; "94" could be "9 4"; long stroke through 13 in "2 26 13 26"
L09 | 2 26 15 9 24 22 9 21 15 - 70 23 84 15 76 19 - 19 9 3 2 21 26 1? - 2 16 9 7
I09 | to newbern and destroy thi
N09 | first 2 blotted; the figure after "21 26" is a single stroke with a curl, read 1 (doubtful); 70 could be 76
L10 | 21 - 3 16 7 4 7 15 13 - 3 2 26 21 9 3 - 46? 23 - 24 16 7 8 9 - 23 17 9 24 -
I10 | r shiping stores while a few
N10 | "46": first figure looks like a cross, 4 or +; no interlinear over it
L11 | 23 21 14 9 19 5 9 3 80 3 9 8 3 - 2 23? 12 9 - 4 26 3 2 23 2 - 26 6 21 26
I11 | armedvessels take post at ocro
N11 | "2 23? 12": second number overwritten in heavy ink, reads 28 or 23; "3 2 23 2" heavy; no dash between "post" and "at"
L12 | 6 26 6 12 - 22 23 21 - 23? 15 19 23 - 17 21 7 13 23 2 9 - 6 21 11 7 3 9 3 -
I12 | cock bar and a frigate cruises
N12 | first figure of "23? 15 19 23" overwritten in heavy ink (28 or 23); no dash between "and" and "a"
L13 | 24 7 2 16 26 11 2 - 2 16 9 13 9 15 9 21 23 8 3 - 7 15 2 9 15 2 7 26
I13 | without the generals intentio
N13 | an inked-out figure (blot, struck, not transcribed) before "2 16 9"; no dash between "the" and "generals"; diaeresis-like dots over the dash after 2
L14 | 15 3 - 2 26 4 21 26 3 9 6 11 2 9 - 2 16 7 3 4 8 23 15 - 78? 7 95 3 51 -
I14 | ns to prosecute this plan is
N14 | "78" first figure faint (7 or 2); interlinear "i s" stands over 7 and 3 only; no dash between "to" and "prosecute", nor "this" and "plan"
L15 | 6 26 21 26 22 26 21 23 2 3 19 - 22 1 - 6 23 4 2 - 9 1 26 15 3 - 26 17 2 16 9
I15 | corroborated by capt byons of the
N15 | the 3 before 19 is underlined; "9 1 26 15 3": first figure 9 (interlinear "b")
L16 | - 6 16 23 21 8 9 3 2? 26 24 15 - 24 16 26 23 21 7 5? 9 19 - 1 9 3 2 9 21 19
I16 | charlestown who arived yesterd
N16 | figure after "9 3" blotted, reads 2; figure after "21 7" heavily inked, reads 5; no dash between "who" and "arived"
L17 | 23 1 - 17 21 26 14 - 13 23 21 19 15 9 21 5 22 23 1 - 4? 8 9 17 2 23 21 15 26 8 19
I17 | ay from gardners bay left arnold
N17 | colon-like mark before 23; long strokes before 17 and 13; the 5 is underlined; no dash between "gardners" and "bay", nor between "left" and "arnold"; "4?" before 8 looks like a cross (4, + or the &-sign seen on p. 731 L05), no interlinear over it
L18 | - 23 2 4 26 21 2 3 14 26 11 2 16 - 26 15 2 16 9 - 2 9 15 2 16 26 17 17 9
I18 | (Va) at portsmouth on the tenth of fe
N18 | "Va" written in the margin and circled; 26 after 14 blotted; no dash between "at" and "portsmouth"
L19 | 22 1 - 2 16 9 4 21 26 13 21 9 3 - 26 17 23 21 15 26 8 19 - 16 7 3 98 -
I19 | by the progress of arnold his
N19 | the "-" after 19 is written as an &-like sign; no dash between "the" and "progress" nor "of" and "arnold"; 98 could be 90
L20 | 26 4 9 21 23 2 7 26 15 3 - 23 21 66 9 - 14 9 15 2 7 26 15 9 19 - 7 15 23
I20 | operations are mentioned in a
N20 | the 9 after 66 is struck through with a stroke and a bracket mark below itTranscription
H | page number 730 (top left); a "{" mark at top centre. The right-hand ends of the lines run into the page edge/gutter and are partly lost
L01 | 15 9 24 3 4 23 4 9 21 - 93 65 39 18 50 - 21 26 7 29 11 - 21 11 18 13 11 13
I01 | newspaper (circled) ... I by the bearer
N01 | "newspaper" and its numbers are enclosed in a loop; no interlinear over 93 65 39 18 50; the "-" before 21 is a stroke with a vertical (a "⊥"-like mark, perhaps the "I" of the interlinear); no dash between "by" (21 26) and "the" (7 29 11)
L02 | 7 29 11 13 11 22 19 8 18 23 - 19 5 7 29 11 - 5 13 11 6 3 29 - 4? 1 6 7 11 23 1 24?
I02 | the removal of the french intellig
N02 | no dash between "of" and "the"; first figure of "5 13 11 6 3 29" hidden under the long f of the interlinear; "4?" before 1 is a cross-like sign (4, + or the &-sign of p. 731 L05); 23 in heavy ink; last number: figure(s) under the descender of interlinear "g", read 24 (could be 4 or 94); line end at the page edge
L03 | 6 3 11 - 19 5 26 19 12 13 - 22 19 8 11 22 11 6 7 16 - 18 13 11 21 19 7 29 - 6
I03 | nce of your movements are both ne
N03 | no dash between "of" and "your", nor "are" and "both"; 16 in heavy ink; anything after the final 6 is lost at the edge
L04 | 3 11 16 18 23 26 - 21 11 5 19 13 11 - 18 13 6 19 23 2 - 9 13 19 3 11 2 16 7 ?
I04 | cessary before arnold proceeds z
N04 | after the final 7 a trace of a further figure at the page edge ("?")
L05 | 11 15 14 3 12 7 11 - 29 1 16 9 23 18 6 - 1 29 18 8 11 - 16 11 6 7 29 1 22 21 2?
I05 | execute his plan i have sent him b
N05 | 14 in heavy ink; no dash between "his" and "plan", "i" and "have", "sent" and "him", "him" and "b"; last number at the page edge reads 2 (a second figure may be lost)
L06 | 11 8 18 6 16 - 7 29 11 96 - 3 26 9 29 11 13 - 1 6 3 18 16 11 - 29 11 3 1?
I06 | evans the cypher incase hec
N06 | 26 in "3 26 9" crossed by the interlinear y; last figures at the page edge (1? doubtful)
L07 | - 3 19 22 12 6 1 3 18 7 11 - 14 1 7 29 26 19 12 - 11 8 18 6 16 - 23 11 5
I07 | comunicat with you evans bef
N07 | no dash between "with" and "you"; "23 11 5": first number reads 23 (interlinear "b")
L08 | 7 29 1 16 - 7 19 2 18 26 - 21 11 1 6 24 16 11 6 7 - 7 19 3 19 23 11 3 7
I08 | this today being sent to colect
N08 | no dash between "being" and "sent", nor "to" and "colect"; 19 in "7 19 3" and the 11 before "3 7" in heavy ink
L09 | 7 29 11 5 19 13 3 11 - 29 11 13 11 - 14 29 1 3 29 1 16 - 6 19 14 2
I09 | the forcee her which is now d
N09 | a "/" stroke before 14; no dash between "which" and "is"; between 19 and 14 a figure is inked out (blot, not transcribed); "the forcee": no dash between "the" and "force"
L10 | 16 9 11 13 16 11 2 - 7 19 18 7 18 3 25 - 7 29 11 5 13 11 6 3 29 -
I10 | ispersed to atack the french
N10 | after 2 a ")" bracket stands where a dash would be (transcribed as "-"); no dash between "to" and "atack"; interlinear "i" faint over 16
L11 | 1 6 7 29 11 - 3 29 11 16 18 9 11 18 25 - 4? 9? 13 19 3 11 2 16 - 7 19 7 13
I11 | inthe chesapeak proceeds for
N11 | "4?" a cross-like sign (4, + or the &-sign of p. 731 L05) before the word; "9?" hidden under the long stroke of interlinear p; small gap but no dot between 19 and 3; interlinear over "7 19 7 13" reads "for" with a t above (doubtful); line end at page edge
L12 | 7 19 24 11 7 7 19 - 18 13 6 19 23 2? - 29 18 8 1 6 24 - 13 11 18 16 19 ?
I12 | togetto arnald having reason
N12 | 24 in heavy ink; the 2 after 23 blotted; final figure(s) after 19 lost at the edge
L13 | 7 19 21 11 23 1 11 8 11 - 7 29 11 11 6 11 22 26 - 18 13 11 24 19 6 11 -
I13 | to beliee the enemy are gone
N13 | no dash between "the" and "enemy"; 6 in "11 6 11" heavy
L14 | 5 13 19 22 7 29 11 6 3 11 - 96 1 16 60? - 14 11 23 - 21 12 7 - 16 14? 1
I14 | from thence is ... But se
N14 | an "x" written before 6 (6 heavy, possibly over another figure); "60?" a blotted, illegible group (6a / 60 / 66); no dash between "from" and "thence"; last figure at edge; "14?" could be 11
L15 | 19 12 16 23 26 - 18 23 18 13 22 11 2 - 5 19 13 14 18 6 7 19 3? - 9 13 19
I15 | ously alarmed forwat to pro
N15 | "3?" written like 5 with a stroke above (3 or 5)
L16 | 8 1 16 1 19 6 16 - 7 29 11 13 1 8 11 13 - 16 18 8 18 6 18 29 - 22 12 16
I16 | visions the river savanah mus
N16 | no dash between "the" and "river"; a "/" stroke before 16 of savanah; 29 heavy
L17 | 16 29 19 13 7 23 26 - 21 11 19 12 13 - 2 11 9 11 6 2 18 6 3 11 - 5 19 13 80?
I17 | shortly be our dependance for
N17 | no dash between "be" and "our"; the first 2 of "2 11 9" has a blot under it; final "80?" could be 60 or 00
L18 | 16 12 9 22? 26 1 6 24 - 7 29 18 7 9 19 16 7 - 7 29 11 11 6 11 22 26 -
I18 | supplying that post the enemy
N18 | "22?" could be 23; no dash between "that" and "post", nor "the" and "enemy"
L19 | 22 18 25 11 16 12 3 29 - 16 11 13 1 19 12 16 - 1 6 13 19 18 2 16 -
I19 | make such serious inroads
N19 | no dash between "make" and "such"Transcription
H | page number 731 (top right) L01 | 13 18 1 16 11 16 12 3 29 - 5 19 13 3 11 - 7 29 18 7 - 1 5 11 18 13 - 14 1 7 29 19 I01 | raise such force that i fear with o N01 | a cross/&-like sign before 13 in the margin (not transcribed); the 16 in "1 16 11" is blotted; no dash between "raise" and "such" L02 | 12 7 - 18 6 18 2 1 7 1 19 6 - 16 19 87 19 6 - 7 19 19 12 13 - - I02 | ut an adition so ... on to our N02 | after 87 a group of about three figures is heavily struck out (looks like "60 ? 6"), not transcribed; after "12 13 -" a whole group (about five figures, "8 ? 6 ? 3 3 ?") is struck through, not transcribed, followed by a dash; no dash between "an" and "adition", nor between "to" and "our" L03 | 3? 19 13 9 16 - 19 6 7 29 11 - 5 13 19 6 7 1 11 13 - 14 11 16 29 18 23 21 11 - I03 | corps on the frontier we shal be N03 | first figure faint, 3 (could be 2); 9 crossed by the long interlinear p; no dash between "on" and "the", nor inside "we shal be" L04 | 18 12 25 14 18 13 2 23 26 - 16 1 7 12 18 7 11 2 - 18 5 19 13 7 12 6 18 7 11 - I04 | aukwardly situated afortunate N04 | 12 in heavy ink L05 | 16 7 13 19 25 11 - 18 7 16 12 22 9 7 11 13 - 4? 22 18 13 1 18 6 - 14 1 23 2 19 - I05 | stroki at sumpter & marian wil do N05 | "4?" is the cross/&-like sign, and the interlinear reads "&" over it; no dash between "at" and "sumpter", nor "wil" and "do" L06 | 22 12 3 29 - 14 29 18 7 1 16 - 7 19 21 11 2 19 6 11 - 44 37 6 90 60 I06 | much what Is to be done N06 | a figure inked out after the dash (not transcribed); 44 37 6 90 60 in heavy ink, no interlinear; "90" could be "9 0"; ":" and a dash-like mark follow 60; a large "§"/"8" sign in the right margin; no dash between "what" and "is", nor inside "to be done" L07 | 1 8 5 12 5 12 13 - 5 2 18 18 21 11 - 16 2 18 26 13 4 7 15 6 4 17 - 8 16 5 12 13 I07 | with the troops from england it the N07 | "1 8 5 12" and "5 12 13" heavy; a ";" after the first 12; the second 12 written over another figure (perhaps 2 over 1); 16 heavy L08 | 23 - 9 18 26 13 - 6 11 8 11 - 13 25 21 12? 9 5 13 17 - 12 13 2 13 I08 | y come as is expected here N08 | "12?" written with a loop below, could be 13; the line ends with a "?" question mark and a long flourish (punctuation, not a doubtful figure) L09 | 1 12 6 5 8 11 - 5 18 19 13 9 18 26 13 - 18 16 5 12 13 - 21 18 11 5 6 5 - I09 | what is to become of the post at N09 | "18 16 5 12 13" and "21 18" heavy L10 | 1 8 15 26 8 4 7 5 18 4 - 18 16? 23 18 24 2 - 26 18 29 13 26 13 4 5 11 - I10 | wilmington of your movements N10 | the "-" after 18 4 is written as ";" ; "16?" sits on the fold line and looks underlined/struck; 26 13 heavy L11 | 75? 13 6 29 13 - 5 12 6 5 - 21 15 6 9 13 - 24 4 9 18 29 13 2 13? 17 - I11 | leawe that place uncovered N11 | first number faint, 75 (could be 15); "13?" small, could be 12 L12 | 19 23 23 18 24 2 - 6 2 26 23 - 5 12 13 19 13 6 2 13 2 - 8 19 13 15 8 I12 | by your army the bearer i beli N12 | final 8 heavy L13 | 13 29 13 - 8 16 12 13 - 17 13 15 8 29 13 2 11? - 5 12 8 11 - 12 13 26 I13 | eve if he delivers this hem N13 | "11?" is followed by a small 2-like stroke before the dash (11 or 112) L14 | 24 11 5 19 13 - 1 13 15 - 2 13 1 6? 2 17 13 17 - 12 13 8 11 - 5 18 21 2 18 I14 | ustbe wel rewarded he is to pro N14 | "6?" under the long stroke of interlinear "r"; "13 17" heavy; final 18 heavy L15 | 9 13 34 75 13 17 - 5 18 - 21 12 8 15 6 17 13 15 21 12 8 6 - 4? 1 8 15 I15 | ceeded to philadelphia wil N15 | "34" could be 24; "4?" a cross/&-like sign before 1 (interlinear "w" stands over it); final 15 heavy L16 | 19 13 - 24 11 15 16 24 15 - 5 12 13 2 13 - 8 15 23 18 24 - 1 8 11 12 I16 | be useful there if you wish N16 | space but no dot between 13 and 2 in "5 12 13 2 13" L17 | 8 5 - 11 9 18 5 73 64 5 89 11 - 15 13 5 13 2 - 8 11 6 19 15 8 4 17 - I17 | it, scot t s leter is a blind N17 | interlinear "t" and "s" stand over 73 / 89 roughly; no dash inside "is a blind" L18 | 30 46 5 80 - 15 19 14 22 25 7 14 22 25 - 14 7 1 16 25 2 I18 | } sir george rodney N18 | "=" mark in the left margin; a "}" brace before the interlinear "sir"; no interlinear over 30 46 5 80; no dash between "sir" and "george" L19 | 6 5 15 26 5 9 25 16 - 12 7 15 25? 15 19 7 16 - 7 13 - 15 26 - I19 | has taken posession of st N19 | "25?" could be 95 or 45; no dash between "has" and "taken"
Transcription
H | page number 732 (top left). Below the text, a docket written vertically on the lower half of the page (low-res reading: "Balfour to Cornwallis ... about March 1781", doubtful) L01 | 25 4 15 26 5 26 19 5 - 6 5 15 25 16 22 5 22 25 1 - 5 - I01 | eustatia has engaged a N01 | continues "of st" at the foot of p. 731; no dash between "has" and "engaged"; after "5" a group of about five figures is struck through with a heavy line (looks like "19 26 ? ? 6"), not transcribed; the "-" after 5 stands for that struck group's separator (doubtful) L02 | 1 4 26 29 6 - 17 19 16 25 7 23 24 5 26 17 25 - 15 6 19 12 - 26 5 9? I02 | dutch line of batle ship tak N02 | no dash between "line", "of" and "batle"; last figure faint at the page edge (9?) L03 | 16 6 25 14 - 4? 5 17 5 14 22 25 - 23 17 25 67 25 26 - 7 23 13 25 14 29 I03 | n her a large fle et of merc N03 | "4?" is the cross/&-like sign before 5 (no interlinear over it); the dash before 7 is short; no dash between "of" and "merc"; a mark at the edge after 29 L04 | 5 16 26 13 25 16 - 4 16 1 25 14 29 7 16 18 7 2 - 23 7 14 - 6 7 17 I04 | ant men under convoy for hol N04 | 26 and the last 16 heavy; no dash between "ant" and "men", nor "under" and "convoy" L05 | 16 1 - 15 7 26 6 5 26 - 19 26 6 19 16 9 - 26 6 25 14 25 19 15 - 16 7 I05 | nd so that i think there is no N05 | no dash between "so" and "that", "i" and "think", "there" and "is" L06 | 19 16 1 - 7 23 1 7 4 24 26 - 5 21 5 14 - 21 19 26 6 26 6 25 I06 | ind of doubt a war with the N06 | no dash between "of" and "doubt", "a" and "war", "with" and "the" L07 | 1 4 26 29 6 - 13 4 15 26 - 26 5 9 25 12 17 5 29 25 - I07 | dutch must take place N07 | no dash between "take" and "place" (space only); the line ends with a long dash and a point
Decipherment of the time: decoded.txt
Decryption
# B: decode.py output, line by line (| = setting indicator, <n> = numeral in clear, [n] = number with no value, ? = illegible) p729 L01 | in gen arnolds leter p729 L02 isthe folowing maragraph if p729 L03 the cooperation wilbe ofservice p729 L04 iintend tosend someboats with p729 L05 fourorfi?ve hundred men p729 L06 through curratuck inlet tos p729 L07 weep the albemarle sound as p729 L08 highas edentown and togo p729 L09 tonewbern and destroy? thei p729 L10 r shiping stores a while afew p729 L11 armedvessels ta?ke postat ocro p729 L12 cock bar a?nda frigate cruises p729 L13 without thegenerals intentio p729 L14 ns toprosecute thisplan is p729 L15 coroboratsd by capt eyons ofthe p729 L16 charlest?own whoariv?ed yesterd p729 L17 ay from gardnervbay p?leftarnold p729 L18 atportsmouth onthe tenthoffe p729 L19 by theprogres ofarnold his p729 L20 operations are mentioned ina p730 L01 newspaper | bythe bearer p730 L02 theremoval ofthe french z?intelig? p730 L03 nce ofyour movements areboth n p730 L04 cesaly before arnold procedst? p730 L05 exwcute hisplan ihave senthimbd? p730 L06 evans the cypher incase heci? p730 L07 comunicate withyou evans lef p730 L08 this today beingsent tocolect p730 L09 theforce here whichis nowd p730 L10 spersed toatack thefrench p730 L11 inthe chesapeak z?p?roceds totr p730 L12 togetto arnold? having reaso? p730 L13 tobelieve theenemy aregone p730 L14 fromthence is wel but sw?i p730 L15 ously alarmed forwantoc? pro p730 L16 visions theriver savanah mus p730 L17 shortly beour dependance for p730 L18 supm?ying thatpost theenemy p730 L19 makesuch serious inroads p731 L01 raisesuch force that ifear witho p731 L02 ut anadition soon toour p731 L03 c?orps onthe frontier weshalbe p731 L04 aukwardly situated afortunate p731 L05 stroke atsumpter z?marian wildo p731 L06 much whatis tobedone | p731 L07 withthe troops fromengland ifthe p731 L08 y come asis exph?cted here p731 L09 whatis tobecome ofthe postat p731 L10 wilmington of?your movements p731 L11 eave that place uncovere?d p731 L12 byyour army thebearer ibeli p731 L13 eve ifhe delivers? this hem p731 L14 ustbe wel rewa?rded heis topro p731 L15 ceed to philadelphia n?wil p731 L16 be uslful there ilyou wish p731 L17 it scotts leter isablind p731 L18 | sirgeorge rodney p731 L19 hastaken pose?sion om st p732 L01 eustatia hasengaged a p732 L02 dutch lineofbatle ship tak? p732 L03 nher u?alarge fleet ofmerc p732 L04 antmen underconvoy for hol p732 L05 nd sothat ithink thereis no p732 L06 ind ofdoubt awar withthe p732 L07 dutch must takeplace
Reading
# B. Balfour to Cornwallis, Charleston, about March 1781 (pp. 729-732)
In Gen. Arnold's letter is the following paragraph: "If the cooperation will be of service, I intend to send
some boats with four or five hundred men through Currituck Inlet to sweep the Albemarle Sound as high as
Edenton, and to go to Newbern and destroy their shipping, stores &c., while a few armed vessels take post at
Ocracock Bar and a frigate cruises without." The General's intentions to prosecute this plan is corroborated
by Capt. Eyons of the Charlestown, who arrived yesterday from Gardner's Bay; left Arnold at Portsmouth on the
tenth of Feb[ruary]. By the progress of Arnold, his operations are mentioned in a newspaper.
By the bearer [?]: the removal of the French and intelligence of your movements are both necessary before
Arnold proceeds to execute his plan. I have sent him by Evans the cypher, in case he can communicate with
you. Evans left this today, being sent to collect the force here, which is now dispersed, to attack the
French in the Chesapeak, and proceeds to try to get to Arnold. Having reason to believe the enemy are gone
from thence [Savannah?] is well, but seriously alarmed for want of provisions; the river Savannah must
shortly be our dependance for supplying that post. The enemy make such serious inroads [and] raise such force
that I fear, without an addition soon to our corps on the frontier, we shall be awkwardly situated. A
fortunate stroke at Sumpter and Marian will do much. What is to be done with the troops from England, if they
come, as is expected, here? What is to become of the post at Wilmington if your movements leave that place
uncovered by your army? The bearer, I believe, if he delivers this, he must be well rewarded; he is to
proceed to Philadelphia and will be useful there if you wish it. Scott's letter is a blind. Sir George Rodney
has taken possession of St Eustatia, has engaged a Dutch line of battle ship, taken her and a large fleet of
merchantmen under convoy for Holland, so that I think there is no kind of doubt a war with the Dutch must
take place.
Notes. "By the bearer" is the end of a sentence in the cipher ("...in a newspaper by the bearer"); its
place is uncertain. The "&" before "Marian" and in "French & proceeds" is a cross sign, not a number
(the decipherer wrote "&" over it on p. 731).C. Balfour to Lt Col. Alexander Stewart, 12 Aug 1781 (pp. 733-736), cipher runs
Arrangements for an escort and supplies to Stewart's army: no dragoons at Charleston, the depot near Monk's Corner put in defence, Caldwell not to act with the cavalry, and a request to cover the escort at Manigault's or Murray's ferries with a move towards Nelson's.
Transcription
H | "Charles Town August 12th 1781" (top), page number 733 top right (partly hidden by a flourish). Mirror-image numbers behind "Sir," and the first lines are show-through from the other side, not text. The interlinear decipherment is very faint and mixed with show-through; only legible parts are given C01 | Sir, C02 | I am just favoured with yours; Lord Rawdon embarks L03 | 91 45 31 60 37 14 13? 72? 13 27 22 16 17 37 75 38 24 15 95 15 63 C03 | [before] to morrow — I03 | The Escort will N03 | "14 13? 72?" heavily inked / overwritten, readings of 13 and 72 doubtful; the 13 after 72 is written like "√3" L04 | 35? 16 37 64? 12 13 77 31 37 64 25 31 17 37 24 35 27 69 37 24 15 63 37 18 13 37? I04 | not be at martens til tues N04 | first figure partly at the margin (35, could be 25); first "64?" written "6ı", could be 61; last number heavy/struck, reads 37 L05 | 32 31 29 71 90 35 16 37 24 22 13 63 24 27 70 27 13 35 37 85? C05 | [after 71] but [after 85] to you I05 | day notice is sent N05 | the clear word "but" stands between 71 and 90; "85?" blotted (85 or 35) L06 | 32 13 37 31 22 14 25 13 35 37 61 37 16 73 38 31 24 37 93 60 - 24 71 35? 13? I06 | ? artment to wait ? ta N06 | 93 60 heavy; last two numbers blotted at the edge (35? 13?) L07 | 31 17 74 37 14 13 69 25 24 15 24 37 24 31 62 30? 24 15 83 15 72 35 16 I07 | ? (illegible) N07 | "30?" blotted (30 or 38); 15 after 24 heavy L08 | 37 60 34 13 80 13 26 77 16 17 31 35 33 13 12 18 17 33 14 90 C08 | [after] however I08 | ? (illegible) N08 | first figure at the margin (37); 34 could be 24; 80 heavy L09 | 26 16 27 90 27 24 12 15 13 71 31 37 60 26 17 13 27 13 C09 | [before] was not I09 | ? (illegible) L10 | 30 37 65 37 16 73 27 18 26 97 26 15 29 73 31 60 26 16 27 37 70 37 14 I10 | ? (illegible; "...ge" visible) N10 | 26 after 97 heavy L11 | 13 17 13 99 - 16 18 17 73 26 17 13 27 13 35 37 71 22 16 25 25 18 35? I11 | ere ? ? ? (illegible) N11 | long dash after 99; 16 after the dash heavy (overwritten?); last number blotted (35?) L12 | 24 22 31 37 24 16 35 73 83 31 27 24 27 37 13 32 61 12 C12 | [after 73] is so much I12 | ? cation N12 | ":" after 83; 61 heavy L13 | 29 73 38 31 37 13 17 64 22 31 17 17 24 31 33 13 74 C13 | [after] that I hope to I13 | water carriage N13 | 38 could be 30; "17 17" written with "=" between them; colons after 31, 33, 74 L14 | 83? 95? 87 34 13 80 13 26 61 24 37 74 93 C14 | [after] — I am sure, that if I14 | keep it N14 | "83?" could be 03; "95?" could be 90 C15 | your People keep moving only to change ground they will be C16 | healthy, at this Season, remaining on the same ground never L17 | 83? 37 38 16 71 14 18? 35 32 17 13 32 64 33 C17 | [before] fails to produce Sickness. I17 | To ? (illegible) N17 | "83?" could be 03; "18? 35" blotted: a figure (18?) run into 35, possibly a struck figure; final 33 heavy L18 | 18? 24 35 13 31 27 63 31 17 13 74 17? 13 35 37 C18 | [after] which is as much I18 | ? ineas ? (illegible) N18 | first number 18 or 10; "17?" after 74 is a heavy blot (17 or 27) L19 | 86? 27 26 31 17 13 71 16 17 63 24 27 66? 27 31 23 13 70 C19 | [before] as we can I19 | ? (illegible) N19 | "86?" could be 06; "66?" written "6ℓ" (66, 61 or 6b) L20 | 37 16 78 27 13 35 32 61 31 37 79 16 35 22 13 80 C20 | [after] — All your I20 | ? (illegible) N20 | 78 could be 70 L21 | 35 16 37 60 16 35 13 75 32 C21 | [before] Orders here will be duly Honored — I21 | ? (illegible) L22 | 17 31 33 16 16 35 63 24 27 60 14 13 90 17 13 C22 | [after] being most res= I22 | dragoons h ? (rest illegible) N22 | colons after 60, 13, 90, 13 L23 | 87 13 25 26 15 16 29 13 32 73 37 16 74 37 14 13 69 27 16 C23 | [before] =fully I23 | employed ? (rest illegible)
Transcription
H | page number 734, written small at the left margin between lines 1 and 2. Continues the letter of 12 Aug 1781 (p. 733). Show-through (mirror-image figures) between the lines is not text. The interlinear decipherment is faint and only partly legible; the right ends of several lines run to the page edge L01 | 18 37 14 38 31 17 32 64 33 13 37 24 35 33 60 26 17 16 28 24 27 24 I01 | ukward geting provisi N01 | first number written "1ϴ", read 18; a comma after 33; 26 heavy L02 | 35 27 67 17 24 22 13 C02 | [after] &c. — whatever Addition you can make to I02 | ns rice L03 | 29 16 18 17 74 25 16 18 35 37 13 32 61 C03 | [after] shall be readily attende I03 | your mounted N03 | "18 35": a stroke between 18 and 35 (separating dot or slash) L04 | 96 22 16 35 28 31 15 13 27 22 13 35 37 17 64 12 C04 | [before] to; & all the I04 | convalescents ? b N04 | 64 heavy L05 | 18 16 35 33? 24 35 33 74 37 16 61 29 16 18 17 63 31 17 25 29 70 I05 | longing for ? your ? ar ma N05 | first 18 heavy; "33?" blotted L06 | 74? 31 75? 15 73 33 16 61 18 26 71 12 29 63 37 14 13 90 73 35 1? I06 | half ? (rest illegible) N06 | first number a heavy blot (74?); "75?": a stroke then 5, could be 45; last number at the page edge, only "1" visible L07 | 19 37 77 13 27 22 16 17 37 95 93 76 23 85 90 23 C07 | [after 95] — All the I07 | ? (illegible) L08 | 24 80 22 13 17 27 80 C08 | [after] I can muster are sent now, & the I08 | ? (illegible) L09 | 38 14 13 35 77 17 13 22 16 28 13 17? C09 | [before] remainder shall come I09 | ? h ? w h (rest illegible) N09 | last figure at the page edge (17?) L10 | 80? 32 - 94 31 27 70 27 16 64 37 14 16 25 27 16 35 62 24 70 I10 | ? for Thomson ? N10 | first number a heavy blot (80?); long dash after 32 L11 | 31 25 66 22 15 13 31 17 69 14 13 71 38 24 15 90 15 70? 12 13 I11 | ? he will be N11 | "70?" could be 72; a mark after the final 13 at the edge L12 | 12 13 37? 37 13 17 79 14 13 17 90 13 81 28 13 C12 | [after 81] for he can be I12 | better her ? ve N12 | "12 13" heavy; "37?" heavy blot; a mark after the final 13 at the edge L13 | 29 76 32 31 35 33 13 17 16 18 27 69 12 13 75 31 27 27 18 17 73 32 I13 | y dangerous ? be asured N13 | "76" written "7.6" (could be 7 6) L14 | 24 27 60 33 17 13 31 37 13 15 29 74 37 16 60 12 13 66 37? 18 3? I14 | ? great ? to be gu N14 | the line opens with a heavy "&"-like sign (or 8), not transcribed; long stroke through 33; "37?" with a long descender over it; last figure at the page edge L15 | 17 32 13 32 61 31 33 31 24 35 27 37 74 C15 | [after] — I beg to have the mo I15 | ?r ded against ? N15 | 3 of 32 heavy; long stroke through 33 L16 | 97 31 27 63 38 13 74 C16 | [before] constant knowledge of your movements. I16 | as we L17 | 31 17 13 60 28 18 15 35 13 17 31 12 18? 13? 62 24 35 71 27 16 69? I17 | are ? vulnerable in ? N17 | "18? 13?" overwritten; last number at the page edge (69?) L18 | 25 31 35 29? 60 26 16 91 27 37 27 61 83 - 87 37 14 13 65 32 1? I18 | many ? the d N18 | "29?" could be 79; long dash after 83; last figure at the edge L19 | 26 16 37 74 35 13 31 17 61 25 16 35 34 27 69 22 16 17 35 13? I19 | ? near ? m ? horns corn N19 | first 26 heavy; last number at the page edge L20 | 17 67 91 26 18 37 74 24 35 62 31 62 27 37 31 37 1? C20 | [after 67] shall be I20 | ? in a ? pat N20 | last figure at the page edge L21 | 75? 16 23 62 32 13 23 13 91 35 22 13 95 C21 | [after] as soon as possible I21 | ? defence N21 | first number heavy (75 or 73) L22 | 37 16 79 33 13 37 61 26 16 27 93 27 C22 | [before] — If it was possible I22 | ? get ? o ? s N22 | a hyphen-like stroke between 61 and 26
Transcription
H | page number 735 (top right, written over the end of the first interlinear line). Continues the letter of 12 Aug 1781 L01 | 13 27 27 24 16 35 69 16 23 75 57 14 13 69 12 16 37 37 27 74 18 I01 | ession of the boats N01 | first 13 heavy; "57" has a flat-topped first figure (5; could be 3); 16 after 12 heavy L02 | 26 16 35 77 57 14 13 64 27 31 35 37 13 70 12 29 74 25 13 31 35 I02 | hon the ?able by mean N02 | "16 35" heavy (overwritten?); "57" as in line 1; colon after 14 L03 | 27 70 16 23 61 37 14 13 74 35 13 33 17 16 13 27 C03 | [after] It would be I03 | s of the ? (rest illegible) L04 | 84 37 14 13 17 17 79 24 27 61 16 35 13 73 C04 | [before] most desirable — I04 | there ? one N04 | the second 17 is struck through with a diagonal stroke and a small "13" is written below it (correction 17 -> 13) L05 | 22 31? 15 32 38 13 15 76 35 13 31 17 60 29 16 18 93 C05 | [after] He is a I05 | caldwel near you N05 | "31?" first figure blotted (3 or 8); first 22 partly at the margin C06 | very sensible Man, & well informed — Major Sheridan L07 | 12 18 37 73 C07 | [before] of the New York Volunteers comes up to join I07 | but L08 | 24 27 63 35 16 37 61 37 16 73 31 22 37 63 38 24 37 14 71 I08 | is not to act with L09 | 37 14 13 60 22 31? 28 31 15 17 29 60 84 12 29 61 15 16 17 32 I09 | the cavalry by Lord N09 | "31?" first figure blotted (3 or 8) L10 | 74 17 31 38 32 16 35 27 60 32 24 17 13 22 37 24 16 37 27 I10 | Rawdons directions L11 | 91 C11 | [after] the reasons you will easily learn — should you think N11 | a heavy ink smear across "the reasons" L12 | 23 17 16 25 74 29 16 18 17 60 24 35 37 13 15 24 33 13 35 22 13 70 I12 | from your inteligence L13 | 93 37 14 31 37 61 37 14 13 76 13 35 13 25 29 77 31 17 13 63 24 I13 | that the enemy are in L14 | 35 71 23 16 17 22 13 62 16 35 70 37 14 13 61 16 37 14 13 17 I14 | n force on the other L15 | 74 27 24 32 13 61 15 16 38 74 32 16 38 35 70 C15 | [after] they may easily I15 | side low down L16 | 71 22 17 16 27 94 27 63 13 24 37 14 13 17 71 31 37 62 25 31 35? I16 | cross either at man N16 | last number at the page edge (35 or 38) L17 | 24 33 31 18 15 37 27 60 16 17 83 74 25 18 17 92 17 29 27 64 I17 | gaults ? murrys N17 | long stroke (interlinear g) through 33; last number heavy at the edge L18 | 23 13 17 24 13 27 61 24 35 37 13 17 22 13 26 37 74 37 14 C18 | [after 61] & I18 | feries & intercept th L19 | 13 90 64 13 27 22 16 17 37 64 90 74 27 25 31 C19 | [after 64] Therefore a. I19 | e Escort ? sma L20 | 15 86? 15 73 25 16 28 13 25 13 35 37 69 16 23 61 31 74 22 I20 | l movement of ? N20 | "86?" heavy (86 or 06) L21 | 16 17 26 27 73 37 16 38 31 17 32 27 71 35 13 - 24 15 27 16 I21 | orps towards neceso N21 | first 16 heavy, followed by a short stroke; "-" between 13 and 24 is a short hyphen
Transcription
H | page number 736, written small at the left margin between lines 1 and 2. End of the letter of 12 Aug 1781 (Balfour to Lt. Col. Stewart). The lower half is full of mirror-image figures and words: show-through from the other side of the leaf, not text. A short docket written vertically at the right edge of the lower half (low-res reading: "... Balfour ... Aug. 12 ...", doubtful) L01 | 35 27 60 38 16 18 15 32 71 13 23 23 13 22 37 18 31 18 29? I01 | ns would effectual N01 | 38 heavy; last number at the page edge, underlined with a curl (29?) L02 | 80 71 22 16 28 13 17 80 62 37 14 13 25 70 24 23 69 2? I02 | cover them if N02 | first 80 heavy; last figure at the page edge (only "2" visible) L03 | 16 35 28 13 35 24 13 35 37 92 C03 | [after] — General Leslie is expected I03 | onvenient N03 | colons after 24, 13 and 37; a few faint small letters above 92 (illegible) C04 | every day from the Chesapeak, to Command to the South C05 | -ward — No News of any consequence, & no Dispatches C06 | from York or Virginia. C07 | I have the honor to be, C08 | Sir, C09 | Your obedient C10 | Humble Servant C11 | N Balfour C12 | Lt. Col. Stewart C13 | &c &c &c
Decipherment of the time: decoded.txt
Decryption
# C: decode.py output, line by line (| = setting indicator, <n> = numeral in clear, [n] = number with no value, ? = illegible) p733 L03 athe?escortwill p733 L04 n?otbeatmartinstiltuet? p733 L05 daynoticeissent p733 L06 detachmenttowait in?e? p733 L07 arthemilitia[30]?illno p733 L08 tkeeporangeburgh p733 L09 possibleatprese p733 L10 [30]ttosupplyapostth p733 L11 ere ourpresentcommun? p733 L12 icationasistedb p733 L13 ywatercarriage p733 L14 keepit p733 L17 twohu?ndredg p733 L18 u?ineasarer?ent p733 L19 spareorissafe p733 L20 tosendatonce p733 L21 notoned p733 L22 ragoonishere p733 L23 employedtotheso p734 L01 uthwardgetingprovisi p734 L02 nsrice p734 L03 yourmounted p734 L04 convalescentrb p734 L05 uong?ingtoyourarmy p734 L06 algoupbythene? p734 L07 [19]tescortff p734 L08 icers p734 L09 whenrecover? p734 L10 d assothomsoni p734 L11 amclearhewillbe p734 L12 bet?terhereve p734 L13 ydangerousbeassurd p734 L14 isgreatelytobet?u[3]? p734 L15 rdedagainst p734 L16 aswe p734 L17 arevulnerabu?e?inso p734 L18 many?posts thede? p734 L19 potnearmonkscorne? p734 L20 rputinastate? p734 L21 ofdefence p734 L22 togetposs p735 L01 essionofhebottsu p735 L02 ponhesantebymean p735 L03 softhenegroes p735 L04 therrisone p735 L05 ca?ldwelnearyou p735 L07 but p735 L08 isnottoactwith p735 L09 theca?valrybylord p735 L10 rawdonsdirectiots p735 L11 p735 L12 fromyourinteligence p735 L13 thattheenemyarei p735 L14 nforceontheother p735 L15 sidelowdown p735 L16 crosseitheratman? p735 L17 igaultsormurrys p735 L18 feriesinterceptth p735 L19 eescortsma p735 L20 llmovementofac p735 L21 orpstowardsne ilso p736 L01 nswouldeffectuauy? p736 L02 coverthemif[2]? p736 L03 onvenient
Reading
# C. Balfour to Lt Col. Alexander Stewart, Charleston, 12 August 1781 (pp. 733-736), cipher runs The letter is in clear with runs of cipher; only the cipher runs are given here, in order. They join the clear text recorded on the C lines of `transcription/p733.txt`-`p736.txt`. ... the escort will not be at Martin's till Tuesday[?] ... day notice is sent ... detachment to wait [?] ... for the militia will not keep Orangeburgh ... possible at present to supply a post there; our present communication assisted by water carriage ... keep it ... two hundred guineas are rent[?] ... spare, or is safe to send at once ... not one dragoon is here; employed to the southward getting provisions, rice ... your mounted convalescents belonging to your army ... by then [the next?] escort ... officers when recovered ... as to Thomson, I am clear he will be better here; very dangerous; be assured [it] is greatly to be guarded against, as we are vulnerable in so many posts. The depot near Monk's Corner put in a state of defence ... to get possession of the boats upon the Santee by means of the negroes ... the garrison [?] ... Caldwell near you, but is not to act with the cavalry, by Lord Rawdon's directions ... from your intelligence that the enemy are in force on the other side low down, cross either at Manigault's or Murray's ferries, intercept the escort; a small movement of a corps towards Nelson's would effectually cover them, if convenient.
Key: decode.py
08 Sources
- National Archives, RG 360, Papers of the Continental Congress, item 51, Intercepted Letters vol. 1 (naId 475670722), images 562–579 (pp. 717–736) and 582–584 (pp. 759–761); file unit naId 2124620; M247 roll 65.
- Ian Saberton, “Decoding British ciphers used in the South, 1780–81”, Journal of the American Revolution, June 2019. He writes that he found no evidence the revolutionaries broke any of these ciphers; these letters show that they did.
- Ian Saberton (ed.), The Cornwallis Papers (2010), vols. 2–4: not consulted; duplicates of A and B may be printed there.
- Washington to Lovell, 6 October 1781, Founders Online; National Security Agency, The American Revolution (Lovell’s breaking of the British ciphers).
Files: targets/balfour1781/ (transcription per page, ciphertext files, decode.py, decoded.txt line by line, reading.md, NOTES).